David Reimer was born in 1965; he had a MZ twin brother. When he was 8 months old his penis was accidentally cut off during surgery. His parents contacted John Money, a psychologist who was developing a theory of gender neutrality. John Money, a psychologist from Johns Hopkins University, had a prominent reputation in the field of sexual development and gender identity.
David’s parents took David to see Dr. Money at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, where he advised that David be “sex reassigned” as a girl through surgical, hormonal, and psychological treatments.
John Money believed that gender identity is primarily learned through one’s upbringing (nurture) as opposed to one’s inborn traits (nature). His theory claimed that a child would take the gender identity he/she was raised with rather than the gender identity corresponding to the biological sex. He proposed that gender identity could be changed through behavioral interventions, and he advocated that gender reassignment was the solution for treating any child with intersex traits or atypical sex anatomies. Dr. John Money argued that it’s possible to habilitate a baby with a defective penis more effectively as a girl than a boy.
David’s parents brought him up as a girl and Money wrote extensively about this case claiming it supported his theory. However, Brenda as he was named was suffering from severe psychological and emotional difficulties. David’s parents raised him as a female and gave him the name Brenda. David was given estrogen during adolescence to promote the development of breasts. He was forced to wear dresses and was directed to engage in typical female norms, such as playing with dolls and mingling with other girls.
Throughout his childhood, David was never informed that he was biologically male and that he was an experimental subject in a controversial investigation to bolster Money’s belief in the theory of gender neutrality – that nurture, not nature, determines gender identity and sexual orientation.
David’s twin brother, Brian, served as the ideal control because the brothers had the same genetic makeup, but one was raised as a girl and the other as a boy. Money continued to see David and Brian for consultations and checkups annually.
During these check-ups, Money would force the twins to rehearse sexual acts and inspect one another’s genitals. On some occasions, Money would even photograph the twins doing these exercises. Money claimed that childhood sexual rehearsal play was important for healthy childhood sexual exploration.
David also recalls receiving anger and verbal abuse from Money if they resisted participation.
Money (1972) reported on Reimer’s progress as the “John/Joan case” to keep the identity of David anonymous. Money described David’s transition as successful. He claimed that David behaved like a little girl and did not demonstrate any of the boyish mannerisms of his twin brother Brian. Money would publish this data to reinforce his theories on gender fluidity and to justify that gender identity is primarily learned.
In reality, though, David was never happy as a girl. He rejected his female identity and experienced severe gender dysphoria.
He was severely bullied in school and experienced suicidal depression throughout adolescence. Upon learning about the truth about his birth and sex of rearing from his father at the age of 15, David assumed a male gender identity, calling himself David.
This case study supports the influence of testosterone on gender development as it shows that David’s brain development was influenced by the presence of this hormone and its effects on gender identity was stronger that the influence of social factors.
David married a woman named Jane at 22 years and adopted three children.
Diamond (1997) brought David’s experiences to international attention by reporting the true outcome of David’s case to prevent physicians from making similar decisions when treating other infants. Diamond helped debunk Money’s theory that gender identity could be completely learned through intervention.
David continued to suffer from psychological trauma throughout adulthood due to Money’s experiments and his harrowing childhood experiences. David endured unemployment, the death of his twin brother Brian, and marital difficulties.
At the age of thirty-eight, David committed suicide.
By Julia Simkus, Updated on June 23, 2023, Reviewed by Saul McLeod, PhD & Olivia Guy-Evans, MSc https://www.simplypsychology.org/david-reimer.html