Updated 2 years ago
Full disclosure: I have trans friends and trans in my extended family, so I feel I can a̸n̸a̸l̸y̸z̸e̸ rant on this news item very cleanly, objectively, and without prejudice.
This is a Chelsea Manning-style level crime of bringing shame to the trans community.
When this news initially broke, mainstream media such as CNN and WaPo laughably left out the husband was trans, and that’s slowly been corrected because the data point DOES deserve to be included. I had to go to the military Stripes.com to get the full story. (Conservative sites of course had all the lurid details)
In cases like this, every incongruity must be explored and let the die fall where they may, or people will learn not to solely rely on mainstream media, it’s that simple. You can’t leave out details because of political correctness. Or you prove the MAGAs right. They should include race and gender at a minimum, and yes, if they are trans that should be included because it might give context, especially in a case for national security. I’m sure the FBI would agree – I want to know every unique aspect of a traitor to our national security that might help in explaining their motive.
But really, trans is a small data point of this whole situation. Why do this inarguably treasonous crime? Let me speculate.
The first clue is the Johns Hopkins anesthesiologist wife (Anna Gabrielian), who might have been the ringleader, has an Armenian last name, as Armenians are wont to have. Gabrielian probably sees Russia as a savior to her homeland. Armenia kind of leans on Russia for protection against Turkey/Azerbaijan. However, that support has wavered recently with renewed fighting in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region and Russian military protection has receded, as it is in the disputed Uzbekistan/Kyrgystan border region. The Armenians might be facing another genocide like they did in Turkey after WW1, and this woman still sucks up to Putin – though if she has a clear brain she should realize Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is spreading the Russian army thin everywhere else! Expect to see a gradually increasing level of chaos in former Soviet border states as Russia disintegrates, btw. And that’s also why Putin might not close the borders because he lacks manpower, but that’s another topic for another day.
And the trans husband, who was lauded to be the first openly trans officer in the military? No idea. What a misguided fool. Putin hates LGBTQ+. They would be MURDERED by a pack of skinheads (or worse) in modern Russia. I’m not equating trans in military with a red flag for treason, even including Chelsea Manning. Two dots don’t make a pattern. And one can argue Manning’s revelations were more net positive (especially in the little Ed Snowden/Wikileaks being “good” era) than some dirty little attempted pandering of military medical records.
And yes, it’s unfair to hold a celebrity icon of trans responsible for their actions as a reflection of all trans, in the same way we did that to Michael Jackson, Bill Cosby et al.
But it’s just the way things are.
Welcome to mainstream acceptance, trans. Now get used to being held accountable for your actions and being grilled on not being “role models” if you screw up.
Henry is lucky he doesn’t get the punishment that Ethel and Julius Rosenberg got in the 50s for giving Russians our nuclear secrets. Which was deserved, btw – although to be fair the guilt of Ethel is disputed. Think of the whole Cold War, the untold lives lost and money spent because Russia got nukes that much earlier.
Because look at Putin now. (INB4 Russians would have figured out the bomb by now) I believe the Red Scare will now be re-examined in light of Putin’s recent nuclear saber rattling. Yes, it had its excesses. Innocent people (i.e. Stupid left-wing naive Hollywood Stalinists) were harmed. Careers were ruined.
But we see today the chicken has come home to roost.
Their lives are ruined. No more anesthesiology at Johns Hopkins. They will probably rightfully lose their children as they go to prison for (hopefully) decades.
