The Tragedy of David Reimer
Exploring the Idea of Gender as a Social Construct.
Sex reassignment surgery, more commonly known as gender confirmation surgery, is a complex and potentially life-changing procedure that aims to help individuals who experience gender dysphoria to live more comfortably in their gender identity. While the surgery can be a positive and affirming experience for many people, some risks and potential downsides can lead to a less than satisfactory outcome.
It's important to note that the risks and potential drawbacks of sex reassignment surgery are different for each individual, and not everyone will experience adverse outcomes. I know a few adults who have had these surgeries, and they are doing well in their lives; however, it's important for individuals considering the surgery to consider the potential risks and benefits carefully and to work with qualified medical and mental health professionals to make an informed decision - especially at a young age.
Sex reassignment surgery may be better suited for adults because gender identity can be fluid during childhood and adolescence. It's not uncommon for children and adolescents to experiment with different gender expressions and identities before settling on the most authentic one. Additionally, sex reassignment surgery requires maturity and a decision-making capacity that may not be present in children and adolescents. The decision to undergo surgery is complex and involves weighing the risks and benefits of the procedure. Adults have had more time to consider their options and understand the potential consequences of their decision. Children and adolescents may not have the same level of understanding and may be more susceptible to external pressure from parents or peers.
The story of David Reimer's gender reassignment experiment is tragic. It highlights the dangers of conducting unethical experiments on children and shines a spotlight on sex reassignment surgery at a young age. This experiment, which took place in the 1960s, was an attempt to prove that gender identity is a product of nurture rather than nature. However, the experiment ultimately failed, and David Reimer's life was forever altered.
David Reimer was born a biological male in 1965. When he was six months old, he underwent a circumcision that went horribly wrong and resulted in the complete removal of his penis. This was considered a tragedy at the time, and his parents were desperate for a solution. They were referred to Dr. John Money, a renowned sexologist who believed that gender was a social construct and that gender identity could be molded through upbringing.
Money convinced the parents to raise David as a girl and to perform gender reassignment surgery when he was 22 months old. They renamed him Brenda and gave him hormone treatments to suppress testosterone. The plan was to raise Brenda as a girl and use her as a test case to prove that gender was not determined by biology but rather by socialization.
However, the experiment was a failure from the start. Brenda did not take to the female identity imposed on her, and by the time she was a teenager, she was struggling with depression and suicidal ideation. When Brenda was 14, her parents finally told her about her gender reassignment, allowing her to transition back to male. Brenda underwent a series of surgeries to reconstruct his genitals and began to live as a man.
Unfortunately, the damage had already been done. Brenda, now David, struggled with his gender identity for the rest of his life. He had difficulty forming relationships and suffered from severe depression. In 2002, at the age of 38, David Reimer took his own life.
The tragedy of David Reimer's life is a stark reminder of the dangers of conducting unethical experiments on humans. The experiment conducted by John Money was compromised from the beginning, as it was based on flawed assumptions about gender identity. Money's theory that gender identity was determined solely by socialization was proven incorrect, and David Reimer paid the price for his misguided beliefs.
David Reimer's story challenged prevailing wisdom. The experiment conducted by John Money was based on the assumption that gender identity was entirely socially constructed and could be manipulated through upbringing. David's experience demonstrated that this was not the case, and that gender identity is a complex interplay between nature and nurture.
The tale of David Reimer highlights the importance of informed consent in medical treatments and procedures. David's parents were desperate for a solution to his genital injury, and they were vulnerable to the promises of an expert in the field of sexology. They did not fully understand the implications of the gender reassignment experiment, and David was not able to provide consent as a young child. The fact that the experiment was conducted on a vulnerable population, in this case, a child with a genital injury, also raised serious ethical concerns.
This case should lead to greater scrutiny of the procedures used in gender reassignment surgery and the ethical considerations involved. The impact of David Reimer's story and the unethical experiment conducted by John Money should be highlighted more often. It should be talked about when discussing gender identity and how gender reassignment surgery is performed today on adolescents. There must be a greater emphasis on ensuring informed consent is obtained before reassignment surgery.
The tragic story of David Reimer and John Money's gender reassignment experiment is a cautionary tale about the importance of ethical standards in scientific research. A faulty experiment irrevocably altered David's life, and his story serves as a reminder of the harm that unscrupulous and misguided researchers can cause. It is a reminder that we must always prioritize the safety and well-being of human subjects in research and that informed consent is essential to any medical procedure or treatment.
Clayton is the founder and publisher of the social and political commentary newsletter Think Things Through and the host of the Think Things Through Podcast.