Nuclear engineer and gender fluid activist Sam Brinton on taking on the nuclear waste problem

Sam Brinton’s entire career has been focused on nuclear energy and the best ways to dispose of the radioactive waste and nuclear fuel that comes from it. Their work landed them the role of Deputy Assistant Secretary for Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition for the Department of Energy — making them the first openly gender fluid person in the federal government.

“I can't change my identity more than anyone can change intrinsic parts about themselves, but I can change my openness. And so I am given the opportunity to serve my country as I am, and that's a really important aspect of my work because I work on nuclear waste management where transparency and honesty and trust building are so critical,” Brinton tells Yahoo Life.

“I never saw myself. There was not a single professor in my life that has ever looked like me. There's never been a person in any of my jobs, who looked like me. But now I get to be that person," says Brinton. “All I ever do is talk about how cool the issue of nuclear is, how amazing nuclear energy is at solving so many of our climate problems and how we still have to be responsible with the byproducts of that power,” says Brinton. “While nuclear produces 20% of the electricity and half of the clean energy in our country right now, it still creates byproducts and those byproducts have to be managed. And that's my responsibility.”

That responsibility is one that also comes with managing the public’s expectations, fears and past experiences concerning the government and exposure to toxic chemicals. In Massachusetts, activists are protesting a plan to dump radioactive wastewater into Cape Cod Bay. In the past, activists have raised concerns about environmental racism — or government policies and laws that put health hazards like landfills and waste sites in Black and brown communities. Brinton says their own experience of feeling marginalized and unsupported makes them better equipped to listen to the needs of communities where waste proposals are being considered.

“Let's be very clear, The Department of Energy, the group I now represent, has failed in the past to adequately protect individuals from a variety of different issues. I need to recognize that history while I try to change the future,” says Brinton.

Video Transcript

SAM BRINTON: I've never seen a person in any of my jobs who looked like me. But now I have received hundreds of cards from young trans and nonbinary kids who say they can't wait to grow up to be a nuclear engineer. If that's the new stereotype, trans people are nuclear engineers, I'm OK with it. If we're going to solve the climate crisis, we need to bring all of the tools to the table.

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BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: I'm Brittany Jones-Cooper. And this is "Unmuted." Joining me today is Sam Brinton, an openly gender person who's managing nuclear waste while making the world a safer place for LGBTQ youth. I know some reports are calling you the first openly gender fluid person to work in federal government leadership. What does that mean to you?

SAM BRINTON: For me, it's the first openly gender person, is the most important word there being "openly." A lot of people ask, what in the world does your gender identity have to do with nuclear waste? And I will respond with, I am given the opportunity to serve my country as I am. And that's a really important aspect of my work because I work on nuclear waste management, where transparency and honesty and trust building are so critical. I get to be the person who changes the world and solves this really big, grand environmental challenge because of my lived experiences.

BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: That is such a powerful perspective, that you showing up authentically empowers your work. So just tell me a little bit about young Sam growing up and your identity journey.

SAM BRINTON: I am the child of missionaries. So when I came out, I was placed in what's called conversion therapy, this idea that you can change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity to straight or cisgender. It didn't work.

BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: It never works.

SAM BRINTON: It never works. Correct. Every major medical organization has called it out as just actively harmful. It caused a lot of suicidal ideation in my life. And I'm really proud to say that I spent time leading work on ending LGBT youth suicide.

We passed more than 20 laws ending conversion therapy, protecting future generations from ever having to go through what I went through. It is still legal in more than half the country. And although I don't spend every day now working to end conversion therapy, it's still very near and dear to my heart. And I'm still really proud of the work removing this dangerous and discredited idea that we can ever change something we never chose.

BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: Earlier this year you were named the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition in the Office of Nuclear Energy for the Department of Energy. That is a big title.

SAM BRINTON: A short version is, it's my job to manage the nation's nuclear waste. The climate is getting worse. We as a country and as a globe have to figure out ways to create clean electricity fast.

One of the ways that we're doing that is with nuclear energy. Nuclear energy currently produces 20% of our electricity and half of our clean energy. Every energy source has waste. Even renewable energies have waste. And we need to be thinking about how we are going to be managing them.

All I ever do is talk about how amazing nuclear energy is at solving so many of our climate problems. We'll be able to make sure that the nuclear waste that we have around the country is adequately stored, adequately transported, and adequately disposed of by centering the needs of the communities themselves. The Department of Energy has failed in the past to adequately protect individuals. I need to recognize that history while I try to change the future.

My country has a long history of not providing individuals who look like me who, love like me the adequate protections that we deserve. I am ready to sit in a conversation with someone who is wary of the past and wants a future where we can all be respected.

BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: That's a big thing, because everything you were just mentioning made me think of environmental racism. And when we look at certain communities and where plants are built and where waste is put, sometimes it is those Black and brown communities that are affected. You, coming from your own marginalized community, have extra empathy for those dynamics. What do you want people to take away from all of the work that you do?

SAM BRINTON: I want people to recognize that it is difficult to be one of these firsts. But I am so excited to say that there are going to be so many who will be solving these problems just by being themselves. A lot of folks, as they've been meeting me, have been saying, goodness, you sure have a lot of enthusiasm. And I was like, yeah, because I'm solving a problem I've wanted to solve for a really long time. And now I have the power and privilege to make a difference.

I've gotten to end conversion therapy in parts around the country. And I've also gotten to now solve the nuclear waste challenges of the world. And those are both parts of my life. We can grow up to change as many parts of the world as possible with the gifts that we've been given.

BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: Sam, I want to thank you for joining us, for showing up so authentically, and for using your passion to change the world.

SAM BRINTON: It's an honor of a lifetime.

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