A Boy Living as a Girl
The Reimers faithfully adhered to the gender re-assignment protocol, accepted their child as their daughter, and attempted to raise her as a “gentle lady.” In spite of their eforts, Brenda resisted this treatment and eventually became unmanageable (Diamond and Sigmundson, 1997a; 1997b). For example, Brenda frequently rejected girls’ toys, activities, and clothing. She would also mimic her father’s behaviors (e.g., shaving) as opposed to her mother’s behaviors (e.g., applying makeup). On the other hand, her mother reported that at times Brenda could act quite “feminine,” referring to the fact that the child was “neat and tidy.” As she grew older, Brenda complained that she felt like a boy and viewed her physical characteristics as more masculine than feminine. Her brother appears to have shared her impression, recalling that “The only difference between him [Brenda] and I was he had longer hair.”
Brenda’s rejection of the feminine identity continued in middle school. In her fantasies she was a “big guy” with “lots of muscles” and a “slick car.” Even though she lacked a penis, Brenda repeatedly tried to stand while urinating and frequently tried to use the boys’ bathroom in school. The other girls prevented her from using the girls’ bathroom.
In response to teasing and harassment by other girls, Brenda fought back and was repeatedly punished for fighting.
When Brenda was nine years old, the Johns Hopkins psychologist urged the Reimers to have Brenda undergo surgery to construct a vagina to replace her mutilated genitalia. The child protested strongly and threatened to kill herself if forced to submit to this treatment. She also resisted repeated attempts by doctors to force her into accepting a feminine identity. By the time Brenda was 14 years old, her behavior had become so destructive (several suicide attempts) that a local psychiatrist convinced the Reimers to divulge the truth to their daughter. Upon hearing the details of her early childhood, Brenda cut her hair and began living as David.
In order to re-capture the physical aspects of his masculine identity, David agreed to undergo a double mastectomy to remove breasts that had developed from estrogen treatments, a series of surgeries to construct male genitalia (a penis with plastic prosthesis and artifcial testicles), and regular injections of testosterone to restore masculine body features.
Questions
- What, if any, aspects of David’s experiences support the nurture theory of gender identity?
- What, if any, aspects of David’s experiences support the nature theory of gender identity?