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David Reimer

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Victim

The Resume

    (August 22, 1965-May 5, 2004)
    Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
    Birth name was Bruce Reimer
    At eight months, his penis was destroyed during a botched circumcision to treat phimosis
    Based on advice from psychologist John Money, underwent gender reassignment surgery at age 22 months
    Raised as a girl and renamed Brenda
    At 14, was told by his parents about the gender reassignment
    Resumed a male identity and adopted the name David
    Underwent testosterone injections, a double mastectomy and two phalloplasties to reverse the reassignment
    Subject of 'As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised as a Girl' by John Colapinto

Why he might be annoying:

    Although he never identified as a girl, Money declared the gender reassignment a success and used it as evidence that gender identity developed as a result of social learning during childhood.
    He would beat up his brother to grab his toy cars and guns.
    He suffered depression and mood swings. (Albeit, not without some good reasons.)
    He threatened to kill himself in his teens, made his first attempts in his early 20s, and committed suicide with a sawed off shotgun at age 38.

Why he might not be annoying:

    His parents decided not to risk circumcision on his identical twin brother Brian, whose phimosis cleared up without surgery, so the whole disaster could have been avoided.
    He was relentlessly bullied in school.
    During visits for therapy, Dr. Money had him and Brian take their clothes off and engage in 'genital inspections.'
    When he told his parents he felt like a boy, they, following Money's advice, told him it was just a phase.
    He said about learning the truth, 'Suddenly it all made sense why I felt the way I did. I wasn't crazy.'
    He went public with his story to discourage similar medical practices.
    Colapinto said, 'The real mystery is how he managed to stay alive for 38 years, given the physical and mental tortures he suffered in childhood that haunted him the rest of his life.'

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 6 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 4 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 5 Votes: 80.0% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 2 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 5 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 3 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 5 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 5 Votes: 80.0% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 11 Votes: 72.73% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 16 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 113 Votes: 61.06% Annoying