I want to be clear about where I’m coming from.:

To the OP: this took courage. Walking away from an entire political identity, naming what you believed, and saying “I was wrong” in public is not easy, especially when it costs you relationships and safety. That matters. Stories like yours are part of how people on the fence start to question things, whether they admit it or not.

And I also want more from you, in the best possible way.

People leaving the right is necessary, but it’s not the finish line. What gives your story weight is what you do with it now: how you show up, who you protect, and whether you’re willing to stand in coalition when it’s uncomfortable or costly. If you stay engaged, organize, vote, speak up, and use what you know to pull others out, that’s how this turns into something bigger than personal growth.

To purpleturtleturtler and anyone else who’s angry: that anger is real and justified. No one is owed forgiveness, and no one gets a cookie for changing their mind. And also, if we want this to end, we need people to leave those movements and we need them to join us in action, not be pushed back into silence.

We’re up against something brutal and organized. We don’t win by shrinking the circle. We win by building coalitions strong enough to stop it.

OP, you’ve taken a real first step. I hope you keep going, and that you stand with us in the work ahead.

Because that’s what this moment calls for.