In the annals of psychology and gender studies, the name John Money resonates with both groundbreaking theories and profound controversy. As a John Money Doctor, psychologist and sexologist John Money significantly shaped the discourse around gender identity in the mid-20th century. His most infamous case, often referred to as the John/Joan case, involved David Reimer, a biological male whose tragic story became a focal point in the debate over gender reassignment and the malleability of gender identity. This article delves into the details of the Reimer case, exploring John Money’s role, the ethical implications of his research, and the lasting impact on our understanding of gender.
Bruce Peter Reimer was born in 1965, a biological male, and experienced a devastating accident during infancy. At just six months old, a routine circumcision procedure went tragically wrong, leaving his penis irreparably damaged. Faced with this devastating situation, Reimer’s parents sought guidance from john money doctor, hoping to find a solution for their son’s future. This consultation would set in motion a series of events that would profoundly impact the Reimer family and ignite a major ethical and scientific debate.
In 1967, Ron and Janet Reimer consulted with John Money at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Money, a prominent figure in the emerging field of sexology, championed the idea that gender was primarily a social construct, shaped more by nurture than nature. He believed that gender identity was largely learned and could be assigned and reassigned, particularly in early childhood. This perspective was gaining traction in academic circles at the time, and john money doctor John Money became a leading proponent of these theories. He presented the Reimers with a radical proposition: to raise Bruce as a girl.
Money argued that by raising Bruce as a female from a young age, his gender identity would align with his upbringing, regardless of his biological sex. He recommended gender reassignment surgery, a practice then becoming more common for infants born with ambiguous genitalia. Following Money’s advice, Reimer’s parents made the difficult decision to proceed with the reassignment. Bruce underwent surgeries at Johns Hopkins to remove his testes and damaged penis, and to construct rudimentary female genitalia. He was subsequently renamed Brenda and raised as a girl, unaware of his biological sex. During puberty, Brenda was given estrogen to further feminize his physical characteristics.
Throughout Brenda’s childhood, john money doctor John Money closely monitored his development, presenting the case as a successful example of gender reassignment. Unbeknownst to Brenda and his family, he became the central figure in what Money termed the “John/Joan” case, a seemingly ideal experiment to support his theories. Money also included Brenda’s identical twin brother, Brian, in his research as a control subject. The twins were subjected to annual check-ups and became subjects of Money’s research on sexual development and gender. Money’s methods were deeply intrusive and ethically questionable. He directed the twins to engage in sexually suggestive behaviors with each other during their sessions, actions he claimed were part of healthy childhood sexual exploration. David Reimer later recounted these experiences as traumatic and abusive, recalling instances where Money photographed these exercises and subjected them to observation by colleagues.
Despite Money’s claims of success, Brenda Reimer’s experience was far from a smooth gender transition. From a young age, Brenda felt profoundly different and struggled with gender dysphoria. He felt internally like a boy, despite being raised as a girl. He faced bullying from peers for his masculine traits and felt increasingly alienated and distressed. By the age of thirteen, Brenda was deeply unhappy and threatened suicide if forced to attend further sessions with john money doctor Money.
In 1980, at the age of fifteen, Brenda’s father finally revealed the truth about his birth and the surgeries he had undergone. This revelation was a turning point. Brenda immediately embraced his male identity, choosing the name David Reimer. He began living as a male, undergoing testosterone therapy and surgeries to reverse the earlier procedures, including breast removal and penis reconstruction. By 1990, David married Jane Fontaine and began to rebuild his life.
In the mid-1990s, David Reimer connected with Milton Diamond, a psychologist and academic rival of john money doctor Money. Diamond conducted a follow-up study documenting the failures of Reimer’s reassignment. In 1997, David Reimer decided to share his story publicly, starting with a Rolling Stone magazine interview. He openly criticized Money’s methods and the trauma he endured, sparking a major controversy. Reimer’s case challenged the prevailing narrative promoted by Money and raised serious ethical questions about sex reassignment surgeries on infants and children.
David Reimer’s public statements contradicted Money’s long-held assertions of the John/Joan case’s success. While Money dismissed Reimer’s criticisms, the case became a significant blow to his reputation and theories. The Reimer case brought to light the severe psychological trauma associated with forced gender reassignment and questioned the ethics of experimental treatments on vulnerable children. Despite the initial support for Money’s work within the scientific community, Reimer’s story led to widespread re-evaluation of gender identity and the appropriateness of early sex reassignment surgeries.
Tragically, David Reimer’s life continued to be marked by profound suffering. He struggled with depression and marital problems. His brother Brian, who had also suffered from psychological issues, died by suicide in 2002. In 2004, after his marriage ended, David Reimer also tragically took his own life at the age of thirty-eight.
The story of David Reimer and john money doctor John Money became a cautionary tale. It underscored the complexities of gender identity, the potential harm of imposing gender reassignment based on theory rather than individual experience, and the critical importance of ethical considerations in medical and psychological practice. The John/Joan case, initially presented as a triumph of nurture over nature, became a stark reminder of the limitations of such theories and the devastating consequences of prioritizing experimental agendas over patient well-being. The legacy of john money doctor John Money remains complex and controversial, forever intertwined with the poignant and tragic story of David Reimer.
Sources
- Carey, Benedict. “John William Money, 84, Sexual Identity Researcher, Dies.” New York Times, 11 July 2006.
- Colapinto, John. “The True Story of John/Joan.” Rolling Stone 11 (1997): 54–73.
- Colapinto, John. As Nature Made Him: The Boy who was Raised as a Girl. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2000.
- Colapinto, John. “Gender Gap—What were the real reasons behind David Reimer’s suicide?” Slate (2004).
- Dr. Money and the Boy with No Penis, documentary, written by Sanjida O’Connell (BBC, 2004), Film.
- The Boy Who Was Turned Into a Girl, documentary, directed by Andrew Cohen (BBC, 2000.), Film.
- “Who was David Reimer (also, sadly, known as John/Joan)?” Intersex Society of North America. http://www.isna.org/faq/reimer (Accessed October 31, 2017).
