Monday, July 10, 2006

John Money Dead At 84

An influential and controversial figure in the world of sex research has died. John Money introduced and elaborated the concepts of gender identity and gender role, and is largely responsible for our modern-day understanding of concepts of sexual identity. His reputation was not spotless, however, as he was accused of concealing an early failure, possibly resulting in subsequent missteps in the treatment of infants with genital deformities.

He died in Towson after a fight with Parkinson's Disease. The Baltimore Sun has his obit:
Dr. John Money, one of the nation's pre-eminent sex researchers who pioneered the study of gender identity and helped establish Johns Hopkins as
the first hospital in the country to perform adult sex-change operations, died Friday. He was 84.

The controversial scholar, who coined the term "gender role," died a day before his 85th birthday at St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson of complications from Parkinson's disease, which he had battled for several years.

Dr. Money did groundbreaking research as director of the Psychohormonal Research Unit at Johns Hopkins University Hospital. He developed hormonal treatment to improve self-control of sex offenders and dedicated research to the virtually unexplored topic of infants born with ambiguous sex organs...

"But he taught us gender is much more significant than having two sexes," Dr. Lehne said yesterday. "He identified what it means to be male and what it means to be female, and what it means to be in-between."

Dr. Money's theories also challenged taboos of 1950s-era sexuality, establishing the notion of gender roles and gender identity, terms that helped shape modern gender studies. Dr. John Money 1921-2006: Hopkins pioneer in gender identity

Yes, and terms that some people wish would go away. Even today, there are those who argue that our Montgomery County sex education curriculum should not include these concepts. Sorry, that cat's out of the bag.
His most memorable and criticized work was advocating sex-change operations for patients confused over their gender, a position that was denounced by some colleagues who favored counseling instead of surgery. In 1979, Hopkins announced that it no longer would perform the operations.

His belief that gender could be assigned to a child before age 3 played out in a radical experiment that proved devastating for him and the child upon whom it was performed.

Canadian parents of twin boys sought Dr. Money's advice in 1967 after one of their sons suffered a botched circumcision. Dr. Money advised them that with hormones and sex-change surgery, the child could be raised as a girl.

But by the time Brenda was a teen, it became clear the plan wasn't working. Brenda became known as a boy, David Reimer, who later was the subject of the 2000 book As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised as a Girl, by John Colapinto. In the book, Mr. Reimer decried the experiment and spoke of his anguish. Mr. Reimer committed suicide in 2004.

Dr. Money refused to speak publicly on the subject, said niece Sally Hopkins of Baltimore.

"I think it devastated him," Dr. Lehne said. "The controversy led to him being kind of withdrawn and somewhat bitter after seeing himself as misinterpreted and not being able to do anything about it."

Dr. Money believed that infants were born gender-neutral and that environment and upbringing were part of several complex factors, including biology, that determined gender.

Amazing how hard this sex business is to figure out. On one hand it seems so obvious, this omnipresent force that drives us beyond reason. On the other hand, it is so subtle -- impossible to view directly, to hang labels on the flow and pressure. But slowly, through carefully planned empirical research, we may be coming to understand the complicated motives that underly this most human of dilemmas, the dilemma of sex.

You gotta give the old guy credit for going where no one had gone before.

21 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

"beyond reason"

irrational desire= ?

July 10, 2006 2:48 PM  
Blogger JimK said...

irrational desire= ?

Well, du-u-u-uh.

JimK

July 10, 2006 2:50 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It takes a big man to admit he is wrong and I would like to give JimK credit for that. Though I guess we will differ as to the definition of quickly. And as to why NAMbLA was officially kicked out of the gay rights movement. But lets press forward for now.
Well what do you think is the appropriate age of consent? 18,16,14,12,10,8,6,4,1 as far as teach the facts are concerned, and what is your definition of the age of consent or one you would use in this conversation. What is your definition of gay in this conversation? What is your definition of a child molester? I strongly feel that this is something that needs to be addressed if the school is to teach sex education. As these all have to do with non-reproductive human sexual behavior.

July 10, 2006 5:29 PM  
Blogger JimK said...

Anon, you're a goof, man.

First of all, I don't believe NAMBLA was ever part of any gay movement. They may have tagged along, from what I see, in the early days, but were kicked out as soon as people got their heads about them and figured out what they really wanted.

Second, TTF has no opinion about the age of consent, and neither do I. That has nothing at all to do with anything we are involved with. If you think it's important, I'd suggest you go to the school board's public comments session and tell them about it. But don't come hanging around our blog talking about molesting children.

If you keep pushing it, I will enforce this blog's policy of deleting moron's comments. It doesn't give me pleasure, but I don't mind doing it either, as your namesake Anonymous can tell you (in case you are two different people, as one of you claims). Please don't make me do that.

JimK

July 10, 2006 5:52 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"First of all, I don't believe NAMBLA was ever part of any gay movement. They may have tagged along, from what I see, in the early days, but were kicked out as soon as people got their heads about them and figured out what they really wanted."

JIm, you need a history lesson. Maybe it was just another part of the "break down all taboos" 60s but NAMBLA was definitely an integral part of the gay rights movement. It all came crashing down during the much publicized Florida ballot inititaive in the 70s. The group's involvement in the gay rights movement was documented by polls to be a major factor in the success of the Anita Bryant campaign.

"Second, TTF has no opinion about the age of consent, and neither do I. That has nothing at all to do with anything we are involved with."

This is hypocritical, JIm. You discuss so much here that has nothing to do with the sex ed controversy in Montgomery County and you're the one who brought this up.

It's actually an interesting question. You've made clear that you disagree with traditional morality regarding premarital sex and homosexuality. You mocked community standards when the FCC tried to stop the showing of a teenage orgy on prime time TV. Why can't someone ask what other taboos you find unnecessary and what your reasoning is? Probably these NAMBLA people have convinced themselves that society is just bigoted against them and yada yada yada. How different is that from traditional gay rights arguments?

Nifty Ice

July 10, 2006 8:12 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well I don’t think that anyone else was confused on the subject if you are born a boy you are a boy if you are born a girl you are a girl. It is the kind of human experimentation that the Nazi (I know it is very swanky to toss around Nazi, but this really doe fit the mind set of what the Nazi’s stood for) would have tried. I am sure that David Reimer would have rather have not been involved in this social experiment but then if you want to be progressive you have to break a few eggs. Dr. John Money, one of the nation's pre-eminent sex researchers. Who pioneered the study of gender identity and helped establish Johns Hopkins as the first hospital in the country to perform adult sex-change operations. They don’t do sex-change operations anymore at Johns Hopkins do they.
JimK
“You gotta give the old guy credit for going where no one had gone before.”
I will give him credit for the complete destruction of another human being.
Ps JimK I thought you were a free speech kind of guy. No?

July 10, 2006 8:17 PM  
Blogger JimK said...

Anon, since I've been involved in this group I've learned some things about the gay rights movement, and I've met a number of people involved in it. I don't appreciate your trying to smear them by associating them with child molestors, and I do not share your fascination with the topic. These are ordinary people who want to be treated like everyone else, they have nothing to do with the sick stuff you want to associate them with. It doesn't fit, it's a stereotype in your imagination, and I'm not playing along with it.

As far as your interpretation of my values and what I mock etc., well, I'm getting a chuckle out of that. I have not shared my personal values on this blog, and you wouldn't have the least clue what I find important or how I live my life, and I like it that way.

JimK

July 10, 2006 8:22 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well, it is an unpleasant topic so enough said. Hopefully, the anons agree.

Nifty Ice

July 10, 2006 8:28 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Actually, one more thing, JIm.

This anon who brought this up is probably being a little unfair to TTF. But it is similar to when TTF tries to associate the pro-family groups with the Ku Klux Klan. You might want to consider the notion that you can dish it out but appear unable to take it.

Just a thought.

Nifty Ice

July 10, 2006 8:32 PM  
Blogger JimK said...

TTF tries to associate the pro-family groups with the Ku Klux Klan...

Anon, you're gonna have trouble showing me where that happened.

JimK

July 10, 2006 8:35 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The quote from Ann Coulter completely hits the mark. Public schools teach humanism, a religious point of view. Why should the tax money of people who don't believe in humanism go to support this religious viewpoint?

Public schools were began as a way to equalize opportunity and produce a society where everyone can be aspirational. It has been taken over by idealogue with a mission to spread their views. The way to restore equalization of educational opportunity is tuition vouchers.

July 11, 2006 8:35 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"You're quoting Ann Coulter as a source for anything? My, my, how low you have all sunk!"

It is interesting this technique of propaganda where TTF selects certain individuals to demonize without any explanation, acting as if everyone agrees with them. I'm quite certain the average American will more often find agreement with Ann Coulter than the good Dr. Candidate.

July 11, 2006 8:48 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Al-Qaida Group Claims GIs Killed Over Rape, Murders
By ROBERT H. REID, AP

BAGHDAD, Iraq (July 11) - An al-Qaida-linked group posted a Web video Tuesday purporting to show the mutilated bodies of two U.S. soldiers, claiming it killed them in revenge for the rape-slaying of a young Iraqi woman by American troops from the same unit.

A statement by the group said the video was released as "revenge for our sister who was dishonored by a soldier of the same brigade."

It said that as soon as fighters heard of the rape-slaying, "they kept their anger to themselves and didn't spread the news, but were determined to avenge their sister's honor."

"God Almighty enabled them to capture two soldiers of the same brigade as this dirty crusader," said the written statement posted along with the video.

The U.S military has charged five soldiers, including two sergeants, in connection to the March 12 alleged rape-murder of an Iraqi woman in the Youssifiyah area and the killing her parents and a younger sister. The U.S. military released the identities of the suspects Monday.

A previously discharged soldier was also arrested in the case last month and charged with rape and murder.

AP correspondent Maamoun Youssef in Cairo contributed to this report.


7/11/2006 07:18:17"

July 11, 2006 10:17 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anon said, ""if you are born a boy you are a boy if you are born a girl you are a girl."


________________


GENDER IDENTITY
5-year-old 'girl' starting school is really a boy
Broward County schools' progressive policy on transgendered children will be tested by the admission to kindergarten this fall of a boy who believes that he's a girl.


http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/15003026.htm


Anne

July 11, 2006 10:54 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Theresa said...
Ok,
Off this subject, but I had to quote this.

"Everyone is taxed to support indoctrination into the state religon through the public schools, where innocent children are taught a specific belief system, rather than, say, math."

Ann Coutler, GODLESS, the church of liberalism.
______________________


Coulter’s plagiarism problem

By: Steve on Monday, July 3rd, 2006 at 7:13 AM - PDT

http://tinyurl.com/jgwxm



_____________________

Coulter lambastes 9/11 widows in new book

Coulter writes in a new book, “Godless: The Church of Liberalism,” that a group of New Jersey widows whose husbands perished in the World Trade Center act “as if the terrorist attacks happened only to them.”

She also wrote, “I’ve never seen people enjoying their husbands’ deaths so much.”



http://tinyurl.com/o485l


Anne

July 11, 2006 11:06 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"You're correct -- they no longer perform genital reconstruction at Hopkins, because of the work of one influential, bigoted professor of psychiatry who has still refused ever to be challenged by the scientific community on his appalling ignorance, Paul McHugh."

Wow, this is a bombshell. Before I read this exchange between an anon and Dr, I never knew that one of the major medical institutions in America doesn't do sex-change operations anymore, even though they were the first to do them, because they are unethical.

This is like when it was revealed a couple of weeks ago that major medical associations have never said there was any proof that reparative theory is harmful. I always assumed TTF was telling the truth about that too.

Open discussion brings out facts.

Nifty Ice

Nifty Ice

July 11, 2006 12:57 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Looks like I'll have to repeat what I said a few weeks ago because Nifty has already forgotten these facts.

"Frank said...

Nothing harmful about reparative therapy?

"In 2002, researchers Ariel Shidlo and Michael Schroeder recruited 182 men and 20 women for a study on the negative effects of reparative therapy. They found that 176 subjects said reparative therapy was harmful, while 26 said it was successful."
Jon Ward, Washington Times
http://www.washingtontimes.com/metro/20050926-095613-8795r.htm

"...The studies cited above allege that a typical success rate for conversion therapies is about 30%. Surprisingly, those researchers never question what might have happened to the other 70%. The only comment that conversion therapists offer is that sexual orientation is difficult to change.21 All conversion therapy rests solidly on the assumption that homosexuality is in conflict with a fulfilling life, balancing out any risks from treatment in the eyes of those therapists. It is important to ask if these treatments might result in negative consequences, however.

This author’s fifteen years of clinical experience with gay men who have gone through some form of conversion therapy suggests a wide variability in the way people are affected. All of the following comments are based upon the author’s own clinical observations and numerous anecdotal reports which await confirmation in controlled studies.

Some—but not all—conversion therapy clients are harmed. In particular, those who have undergone treatments such as electric shock or drugs inducing vomiting while homoerotic material is presented are likely to have been harmed the most. Many such individuals seen in my practice are not only tormented by an exacerbated level of shame but are physically rendered “asexual”—not changed into heterosexuals, but no longer functioning as homosexuals either.

In recent years, however, refugees from such cruel therapies have become less common
in this author’s practice as these treatments have fallen into disfavor. At present, the majority of former conversion therapy clients, or “ex-ex-gays”, as they are sometimes known, have gone through a religious, prayer-based program or a talk-oriented therapy of some sort. Such individuals often experience continued depression over their homosexuality, compounded with a sense of shame over having failed at conversion therapy. Further, they may have a
psychologically debilitating sense of having lost those important life elements—family
of origin, religious affiliation, social support— for which there was still some hope as long as the individual was trying to change. Some former conversion therapy clients report extraordinary difficulties with interpersonal interactions, and particularly sexual intimacy, with same-sex partners.

The author’s own clinical practice and the views of other practitioners working with former conversion therapy clients suggest that the problems associated with conversion therapy are not limited to the client. The goal of conversion treatments is to involve other individuals in the client’s romantic and sexual life. For the ex-spouses and children of conversion therapy “experiment relationships,” the sense of betrayal and loss can be devastating. Very often individuals and family members who have been caught in the conversion therapy process
need counseling of their own."

http://www.iglss.org/media/files/Angles_41.pdf
or
http://tinyurl.com/g2l6s for HTML

Frank

June 29, 2006 6:46 PM"

Frank

July 11, 2006 2:19 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Disagreeing about gay marriage, or even disagreeing about the curriculum, is just disagreeing. Associating gay men with child molesters is prejudice, and evidence of bigotry. Does everybody understand the difference?

Robert"

It can't be bigotry when it's backed up by stats. Gays are more likely to have been abused as children and child abusers are more likely to have been abused as children. Added together, these two statistics reveal a trend that, while not the basis for any presumption of guilt, justifies some wariness on the part of the normal population.

Super Duper

July 11, 2006 5:23 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Super Duper said, "Gays are more likely to have been abused as children and child abusers are more likely to have been abused as children."

And then said, "justifies some wariness on the part of the normal population."
______________

As is true about those who assault and sexually abuse women and girls, most perpetrators of males are men. Specifically, men are perpetrators in about 86% of male victimization cases.



Despite popular belief that only gay men would sexually assault men or boys, most male perpetrators identify themselves as heterosexuals and often have consensual sexual relationships with women.

http://www.ncptsd.va.gov/facts/specific/fs_male_sexual_assault.html


Just what is "normal population" as if there is such a thing.


Anne

July 11, 2006 5:42 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"It can't be bigotry when its backed up by stats."

Thanks for the Super Duper example of why we need to make science curricula more rigorous.

July 11, 2006 6:37 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"For those of you who agree with Wyatt that a boy is a boy is a boy, here's just the latest piece of research:"

Dana

FYI. The anon you usually refer to as "Wyatt" is not the one that made this comment. You apparently have at least one other anon commenting recently.

July 12, 2006 11:30 AM  

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