Right there with you, Meghan -- every step of the way. EXCEPT I find this statement disingenuous: "For whatever reason, I said a couple bonkers things that didn't line up with what was actually in my brain." Actually, I think you said exactly what was in your brain. And you were publicly scolded and shamed for it, which made you reflect and reconsider your beliefs carefully and over time, to the point where you eventually CHANGED YOUR MIND. Instead of being embarrassed about this and obfuscating the matter, you should proudly trumpet how and why you came to shift your thinking. Here's why: in this age of doubling down on every position great and small, wouldn't it be wonderful if we could allow people the room and the face-saving to change their minds? Imagine if we could cultivate a culture in which changing one's mind were not only permissible but celebrated. Perhaps then we would make some real progress towards a unified culture. Cheers.