you are viewing a single comment's thread.

view the rest of the comments →

[–]Complicated-Spirit 26 insightful - 2 fun26 insightful - 1 fun27 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

It’s important to note a couple things about John Money:

  1. TRAs occasionally cite him and the Reiner case as “proof” that we have “male brains and female brains”.

  2. Money did more than just encourage Reimer to wear dresses and play with dolls. He encouraged the female role as a submissive one, up to and including “sex play” involving Reimer and his brother, with Reimer in a passive, receptive role and his brother in the overpowering “male” role. Money did believe that gender roles were solely the result of socialization, but seemed to associate feminization with submissiveness and meekness to a point that we would likely consider humiliating. It is no wonder that Reimer found the experience unpleasant. Money constantly emphasized his role as female = nurturer, caregiver, doormat, gentle, loves pretty things, etc. and was firm that he remain strictly within that role, as well as stressing that his brother should be held up as masculine = tough, in charge, etc.