Bruce Reimer, born in 1965, became unknowingly central to a highly controversial psychological study known as the John/Joan case. This case, orchestrated by psychologist John Money, explored the malleability of gender identity, starting with Reimer’s gender reassignment surgery in infancy after a circumcision accident. Despite being raised as a girl named Brenda, Reimer’s story took a tragic turn, ultimately challenging prevailing theories about gender and the ethics of early sex reassignment interventions.
Bruce and his identical twin brother, Brian, were born in Winnipeg, Ontario, on August 22, 1965. At six months old, both were diagnosed with phimosis. While Brian’s condition resolved naturally, Bruce underwent a circumcision on April 27, 1966. However, the procedure, using cauterization instead of the standard scalpel, resulted in severe damage to Bruce’s penis. Reports suggest the damage was extensive, possibly irreparable.
In 1967, seeking guidance, Bruce’s parents consulted Dr. John Money at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Money, a prominent sexologist, championed the idea that gender was primarily a social construct, shaped more by nurture than nature. He advocated for Bruce to undergo sex reassignment surgery, believing that raising him as a girl would be in his best interest. This perspective aligned with the then-common practice of performing such surgeries on infants with ambiguous genitalia.
Following Money’s advice, Bruce’s parents proceeded with the reassignment. At Johns Hopkins, Bruce’s testicles and damaged penis were removed, and a rudimentary vulva and vaginal canal were constructed. A surgical opening was created for urination. Bruce was renamed Brenda and raised as a girl, receiving estrogen during puberty to induce female secondary sexual characteristics. Throughout his childhood, Brenda remained unaware of her biological sex.
Brenda and Brian became subjects in Money’s research. Money saw them as ideal for studying gender development, with Brenda as the reassigned subject and Brian as the control. During annual check-ups, Money conducted experiments, including directing the twins to engage in sexually suggestive behaviors with each other, which Brenda later described as abusive and traumatic. Money documented and presented the John/Joan case as a success, claiming Brenda’s feminine behavior validated his theories about gender plasticity. However, these claims were later heavily disputed.
Contrary to Money’s reports, Brenda experienced significant gender dysphoria. She felt discomfort with her assigned female gender and resented the mandatory visits with Money. By age thirteen, Brenda refused to see Money again and expressed suicidal thoughts if forced to continue. Despite being raised as a girl, Brenda felt intrinsically male and faced bullying for her masculine traits.
At fifteen, in 1980, Brenda’s father revealed the truth about her birth and medical history. This revelation was pivotal. Brenda embraced a male identity, choosing the name David. By twenty-one, David underwent testosterone therapy and surgeries to reverse the earlier procedures, including breast removal and penis reconstruction. In 1990, he married Jane Fontaine and became a stepfather to her three children.
In adulthood, David Reimer spoke openly about the profound psychological trauma inflicted by Money’s experiments, which had been used to justify numerous sex reassignment surgeries. He collaborated with Dr. Milton Diamond, a rival of Money, in a follow-up study that highlighted the failure of David’s reassignment. David’s public accounts, beginning with a 1997 Rolling Stone interview, sparked widespread controversy regarding Money’s research methods, data integrity, and the ethical implications of early sex reassignment surgeries.
David’s narrative directly contradicted the prevailing scientific understanding promoted by Money, which presented the John/Joan case as an unqualified success in gender transition. While Money dismissed David’s criticisms as biased, colleagues noted Money’s private shame over the case’s outcome. Tragically, David’s life was marked by severe depression and marital difficulties. His brother Brian, also struggling with mental health issues, died from a drug overdose in 2002. Following a divorce, David Reimer tragically committed suicide by firearm on May 4, 2004, at the age of thirty-eight.
The John/Joan case, and the story of David Reimer, became a focal point in discussions about gender identity, medical ethics, and the complexities of sex reassignment. His story has been featured in books, documentaries, and even popular culture, serving as a cautionary tale about the potential harm of imposing gender identity and the importance of respecting individual lived experiences. The legacy of the John/Joan case continues to influence medical and psychological approaches to gender identity and intersex conditions, emphasizing patient autonomy and ethical research practices.
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).
