Chapter 1.

Introduction

Photo Credit: moodboard/SuperStock

Princeton University

Click the Arrow to start this activity

1.1 Gender Dysphoria: "The Boy Who Was Turned Into a Girl"

This video case looks at the question of whether sexual reassignment in a "normal child" is possible. It tells the tragic story of the Reimer family, a Canadian family who in the 1960s had twin boys. When Bruce Reimer was circumcised, a hospital mishap resulted in the destruction of most of his penis. His parents eventually sought the council of psychologist John Money, a sexual reassignment specialist, who believed through his previous work that gender is primarily learned. Money advised the family to give their son a sex change operation and rear him as a girl. As you will see, the results turned out to be disastrous and ultimately tragic.

1.2 Check Your Understanding

1.3 Activity Completed!