As Nature Made Him

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In 1967, a baby boy underwent a botched circumcision, leading his family to agree to a radical treatment. Advised by a renowned expert at Johns Hopkins Hospital, the boy was surgically altered to live as a girl. This case, involving identical twins—one injured and one uninjured—became a landmark example in medicine and social sciences, often cited as evidence that gender identity is shaped by upbringing rather than biology. It influenced the feminist movement and established sex reassignment as a standard treatment for newborns with similar conditions. However, the case was flawed from the beginning; the twin raised as a girl struggled with his assigned gender and, upon learning his true history at fourteen, chose to live as a male. John Colapinto narrates this extraordinary story for the first time, providing insight into the historical and medical context, including the intense rivalry between Dr. John Money and Dr. Milton Diamond over the nature/nurture debate. This account reveals a tale of medical arrogance and, more importantly, a human drama of survival against overwhelming odds, highlighted by the subject's brave decision to reveal his identity after decades of anonymity.