Tal Bachman, musician and investigative writer at Steynonline.com, recounts the disturbing story of Dr. John Money, a New Zealand-born psychologist who rose to prominence in the mid-20th century. Money, regarded as a pioneer in sexology at Johns Hopkins University, founded the field of pediatric psychoendocrinology (sic). This new branch of study—self-aggrandizing in name and aim—masked a darker purpose. According to Bachman, “John Money was a devout believer in his mission—a twisted sense of sacredness to destroy all codes of sexual restraint.”
Money’s career centered on one primary dogma: sexual identity was not innate but entirely socially constructed. He declared that biological sex played no role in shaping psychological differences. His infamous “experiment” on the Reimer twins would become a grotesque testament to his ideology. When Bruce Reimer, one of the twins, lost his penis during a botched circumcision in Winnipeg, Money saw a “perfect” opportunity. He convinced Bruce’s parents to raise him as a girl named Brenda, asserting that with enough cultural conditioning, the child would never know the difference. Yet, as Bachman describes, “Money’s entire academic career was based on lies. He reported ‘success’ where there was only suffering.”
Behind the walls of Johns Hopkins, Money subjected Bruce to horrifying treatments. He orchestrated abusive counseling sessions where Bruce and his twin brother were forced to simulate sexual acts. “The experiment involved forced simulations of sex acts between the twins—unspeakably vile,” Bachman notes. Bruce repeatedly resisted the imposed identity. At one point, he gave his parents a chilling ultimatum: “If you ever take me back to that man, I will kill myself.”
Milton Diamond, a skeptical psychologist, quietly tracked the case for years. “Milton Diamond’s exposé blew Money’s research to smithereens,” says Bachman, “but the damage had already been done.” Money’s fraudulent claims had entrenched themselves in academic circles and influenced medical policy worldwide. Thousands of boys with developmental abnormalities were subjected to unnecessary genital amputations based on Money’s theories. “Thousands of boys had their genitals mutilated due to Money’s influence, consigned to lives of torment.”
Diamond eventually located Bruce—now living as David Reimer—and uncovered the full scope of the tragedy. For the first time, David learned that Money had been lying to the world about the “success” of the experiment. Fueled by a desire to stop further harm, David went public with his story. “David Reimer went public, hoping truth would prevail—but the establishment barely budged,” says Bachman. David appeared on television shows and collaborated on a Rolling Stone exposé.
However, the trauma of his past remained. David struggled in his marriage and with public exposure of his most intimate suffering. Meanwhile, his twin brother, tormented by memories of their shared abuse, died by suicide. David’s final moments were equally tragic—he took his own life in 2004. “This industry thrives on exploiting vulnerable people for profit, all under the guise of compassion,” Bachman concludes.
Despite the deaths and revelations, many of Money’s ideological descendants remain influential in contemporary medicine. His name may have faded, but his legacy of deception and institutional control persists as a cautionary tale.
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