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CNBC Scrambles To Use Correct Pronouns For Trans Army Officer Accused Of Handing Info To Russia

Close up of classified documents [Shutterstock alexskopje]

[Shutterstock alexskopje]

Brianna Lyman News and Commentary Writer
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CNBC scrambled to use the correct pronouns to cover the trans army officer who was indicted Thursday for allegedly handing medical information to Russia.

U.S. Army Major Jamie Lee Henry and Anna Gabriellan are married. In 2015, Henry became the first known active-duty U.S. Army officer to come out as transgender, according to the Baltimore Banner. CNBC struggled, however, to describe the couple, changing pronouns several times.

“A U.S. Army major doctor and his physician wife have been charged with a criminal plot to give confidential medical information related to members of the U.S. military and their spouses to the Russian government,” the original key point read.

The point was then updated to say “a U.S. Army major doctor and their physician wife” before a second change to “A U.S. Army major and her physician wife,” according to pictures posted to Twitter by Jordan Chamberlain, who used to work for the Daily Caller. (RELATED: Teachers Refuse To Follow Trans Policy That Requires Them To Use Students’ Birth Names On Official Records)

CNBC wasn’t the only one trying to get their pronoun usage right. Reuters’ Sarah N. Lynch had to clarify on Twitter her use of “he/his” pronouns in her story on Henry.

“Some folks asked me if the story on the ex-Army major misgendered the defendant. Today in court, the defendant used the gender pronouns he/his,” Lynch tweeted. “We realize that in 2015 the defendant came out as a trans female. But given the fact the defendant identified as male today, we used that pronoun (also used in the indictment) and mentioned the prior interviews identifying as female in our update.”

Both were charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act for disclosing medical records of U.S. service members and their families, and seven counts of actually disclosing the information on Aug. 31, 2022, according to the indictment.

Henry and Gabriellan were approached by an FBI undercover agent in Baltimore posing as an affiliate of the Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 17. The couple offered to hand over health records to prove they had access to sensitive information. Henry repeatedly told the agent the couple could supply information “until the United States actually declares war against Russia,” according to the indictment.