Fifth estate. John/Joan
Description
Eight-month-old baby John was the victim of an accident during circumcision which left him with almost no penis. The next year, when he was almost two, the family brought him to Dr. John Money at Johns Hopkins University Medical School, who advised them to have his testicles surgically removed. The theory was that John could be brought up as a girl--that nurture rather than nature created sexual identity, a theory that had gained some acceptance in the 60s. Following the doctor's advice, the family renamed him Joan, dressed him in frilly dresses and treated him like a little girl. However, beneath the curls and dresses, John/Joan was miserable in his female persona. His twin brother recalls that he was never "feminine." Yet Dr. Money published a report on the success of this particular sex assignment. When he was an adolescent John learned the truth about his birth. Angry at his fate, he made several suicide attempts and refused to continue to see Dr. Money. Now in his 30s, he has put his life back together, having undergone reconstructive surgery that enables him to have a normal sex life. This unique film also includes interviews with professionals involved with psychosexual development.
Runtime
30 minutes
Series
Subjects
Genre
Database
Alexander Street
Direct Link
Similar Films
Anything you can do, I can do better. Why the sexes excel differently
Love, love me, do. How sex differences affect relationships
Gender Matters - Transgender Youth
War of the sexes. Power and leadership
A Transgender Teen's Transformative Journey Before Adulthood
The Problem with boys. Falling behind in school and life
On the Male Side of Middle
Becoming Julia
Exploring society. Gender. Lesson 12
Entre il et ailes
FtF. Female to femme
Becoming me. Gender within
From this day forward
All about boys
Exploring society. Gender. Lesson 12