Assignment 7



Why did the doctors decide to make Bruce into a girl?

David Reimer was named Bruce at birth. Bruce had a twin brother named Brian; both were diagnosed by a medical condition, wherein the penis needed circumcision. After being referred for circumcision, Bruce was operated by a urologist. The urologist used an unconventional method of operation, which was not successful, and his penis was burned beyond repair. His parents were very concerned for his son's future prospects regarding his sexual life; therefore, they decided to meet John Money at John Hopkins University, after watching him on television. Dr. Money appeared to be very charismatic and confident of his theory, which inspired David's parents to meet him in Baltimore. He was a psychologist, prominent in the field of Gender Neutrality, who believed that gender identity is not something one is born with, but is acquired through social interaction and learning. John Money persuaded the parents of Bruce for a gender reassignment surgery, for the successful sexual future of their child. Bruce and his twin brother Brian also presented a perfect experimental opportunity for Dr. Money to test his theory. Bruce's testes were removed, and he was named Brenda after the surgery.

How did "Brenda adjust to her female gender as she was growing up?

After the gender reassignment surgery, psychological support was provided by John Money. The family used to visit John Money every year for about a decade in order to assess his performance after the gender change. John Money conducted some interviews, and the answers of Brenda convinced Dr. Money that the gender reassignment was successful. David Reimer confessed that the trips to Baltimore were distressing and were not successful at all in changing his thinking or feelings. During the sessions, John Money talked about sexuality and showed graphic sexual images to ...