REVEALED: New Office of Nuclear Energy deputy assistant partook in ‘puppy play’ kink community

K. Christopher Powell of The National Pulse was first to report on this bizarre story.

A photo from Instagram, posted to Twitter by Libs of TikTok, reveals Sam Brinton standing in a dress surrounded by three individuals crawling on the floor, clad in leather attire that resembles dogs.

The caption of the February 19, 2018 post reads: Kink 101 was amazing this year at #mblgtacc2018 #mblgtacc," with the two hashtags referring to the Midwest Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Ally College Conference.

Brinton's associations with the "puppy play" community was also highlighted in a January 2016 Metro Weekly article regarding the subject.

The article talks with numerous members of the puppy play community, describing it as "a scene that, while not leather-centric, grew out of the leather and BDSM communities and is often lumped in with other fetishes that may be unfamiliar to the casual observer. It's a world that, although slowly gaining acceptance, is still misunderstood."

Photos taken for the article feature people dressed in leather masks with a snout and ears that resemble a dog face, walking on their hands and knees that frequently are covered with padded gloves and knee pads.

In the article, Metro Weekly describes Brinton as a "handler," which functions "the same way dog owners do, keeping a watchful eye on their charge and reining in the pups if needed. It's the handlers who train the pups and teach them discipline, doling out rewards or punishments based on good or bad behavior."

In regards to "enter[ing] their own headspace when engaging in puppy play," Brinton said: "My headspace is equivalent to the mom who sees her kid in danger, or the dad who wants to teach his son how to play football."

Brinton, who is allegedly the handler of 27-year-old "pup" named Nubi, said "it's the concept of the teacher and nurturer…. My job is to make sure that while he's in headspace, I'm keeping him safe."

"I tell people that if you're going to be a good handler, you have to listen well," Brinton said. "I can hear when Pup needs something faster, because of the difference in the grunts or the moans."

"Sam also says that watching a pup's eyes, his interactions with people, and his reaction time to certain commands can signal whether a pup needs to take a rest or break for water," Metro Weekly wrote.

"A pup should never get so dry that he has to ask for water," he said. "A handler should know that even if he's not whimpering for water, you know this is the time for something that he needs."

Brinton went on to describe the nature of his relationship with his "pup."

"Pup and I have what I feel is one of the most ideally perfect connections between our personal and kink life," Brinton said. "Both of us have other partners, so we come into this space, and then we come out of it, knowing the boundaries of where your kink and non-kink relationships begin and end."

"I actually have trouble when we transition from pup play to having sex," Brinton explained. "Like, 'No, I can't have you whimper like that when we're having sex,' because I don't want to mix that world. It’s interesting, because he doesn't have to come out of pup mode to have me f*ck him. I personally have to bring him out of pup perception for me. But then I’m still treating him as a submissive to me."

"One of the hardest things about being a handler is that I’ve honestly had people ask, 'Wait, you have sex with animals?'" Brinton said. "They believe it's abusive, that it's taking advantage of someone who may not be acting up to a level of human responsibility…. 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."

Brinton, before moving to his new role in the Department of Energy, previously served as the Vice President of Advocacy and Government Affairs for the Trevor Project.

Earlier this month, a mother who posed as a 15-year-old gender dysphoric biological female accessed services online with the Trevor Project, which revealed that the service affirmed her trans identity.

The mother, who is dealing with her own child's gender dysphoria, presented herself in the conversation as confused about many things, but sure of being "not cishet," and interested in knowing more about detransitioning.

"What emerged in the online chat with a representative from the Trevor Project was advocacy for transitioning, no information about detransitioning, and apparent certainty in the face of an uncertain teen who didn't know where to go for help. The Trevor Project guided Gloria to resources on hormones, including how to get them without parental awareness, chest binding, and an introduction into a community of teen transitioners," previously reported.