[user104658]

Ehhhh I'm in two minds about this. On the one hand, really ****ing stupid thing to say out loud in public. On the other, I think the backlash is probably more damaging than the statement itself?

It wasn't a brag, it was a (very, very badly worded) way of saying that when he was young and stupid something happened that turned him into a racist and that that was wrong, and stupid, and he realised that and is pointing out that his mindset was completely wrong. Was there any need for him to bring it up? Probably not, and like I said he should have been much more careful with his wording (I think he was wording "his mindset at the time", not how he feels now)...

...However... Why I think the backlash is damaging. Because it's saying "It doesn't matter that you think it's wrong now - the fact that you EVER thought like that means your career is over." And the reason that's a problem is that it is very damaging to getting other people to change their ways. Are "bad people" not much, much less likely to try to do better, if the message is "it doesn't matter what you do now, you will always be judged on who you once were". Making a change is hard and if it feels like you're going to be regarded as "the old you" forever, anyway, then does that not decrease the incentive to change?

People who WERE once racist, or homophobic, or anything else like that but now have a different mindset should be encouraged to share their story... because while it might be uncomfortable, doing so just might spark the idea of change in someone else. The "pretend it never happened, sweep it under the carpet" mindset doesn't benefit anyone.