Jamie Reed was a case manager at the Washington University Transgender Clinic who came to The Free Press to blow the whistle on what she called “the appalling medical treatment of minors with gender dysphoria.”

Her story was published in February, and immediately sparked a national conversation, leading to an investigation by the Missouri attorney general and the state’s ban on gender transition of minors. It also made life a bit hard for Jamie. As a progressive queer woman married to a transman, she was called by many on the left a traitor, accused of being brainwashed or paid off by the right. But in truth, Jamie simply realized she had been wrong.

Admitting this fact took great courage, which she revealed in a speech last November. We felt her remarks—about questioning authority, even if it’s the deeply held beliefs of one’s own political party—were an important reminder of our own mission, both as journalists and as citizens. So we’re starting the year by publishing an edited version of her speech in the hope it inspires you, too.