110: The Sad Case of David Reimer

Today we are covering one of the most heartbreaking and bizarre cases in modern medical history. The story of David Reimer has been used as both a platform for reform around acceptance of Intersex identities and as a weapon against transgender children transitioning at a young age. What is more interesting though is that David Reimer was neither intersex nor transgender, yet his body and his legacy have been used as an exhibition for the rest of the world. Nothing better encapsulates the toxicity of social standards around masculinity and femininity than this story. And while Reimer was not part of the LGBTQ+ community, his case and his abuse shed light on the many harms done against queer individuals. So, let us start at the beginning of what would become known as the “John/Joan” case.