Sam Brinton, the Biden administration’s new spent fuel and waste disposition deputy, has sought to dispel misconceptions about his kink identity.
THE QUOTE
After Brinton was appointed to the Energy Department role last month, public comments he previously made about his participation in the “pup play” fetish scene resurfaced.
- In 2016, Brinton, an LGBT activist, explained to Metro Weekly that he role-plays as a “handler” of “pups,” other gay men who act like dogs.
- “One of the hardest things about being a handler is that I’ve honestly had people ask, ‘Wait, you have sex with animals?’ They believe it’s abusive, that it’s taking advantage of someone who may not be acting up to a level of human responsibility,” he said.
- “The other misperception is that I have some really messed up background, like, did I have some horrible childhood trauma that made me like to have sex with animals.”
THE REACTION
Social conservatives have clashed with liberals over whether Brinton’s professed predilections are relevant to his public service.