This issue has been resolved now, but I can't stop thinking about it.
I can't remember how the topic of abortion came up, but a few days ago I mentioned those fake pictures of pre-term foetuses allegedly looking exactly like full-term newborns but smaller that circulate on the internet. I said they were fake and made me very angry.
The next day a colleague emails me saying this had upset her tremendously. She had had a miscarriage and could tell me these pictures are real and 'it is true'. She then proceeded to tell me that for some people life is precious irrespective of the age of gestation. She said it was incredibly painful for someone to say that everybody will have to die sometime. Before everyone jumps down my throat, I obviously did not say anything of the sort! She then said she hoped her message would change my views (not that I expressed any beyond being angry at the fact that fake pictures are used in the abortion debate), but didn't expect they would.
I replied explaining what I meant and apologising for any upset caused. I think everything is OK now, but I can't stop thinking that I really didn't do anything wrong. Surely I wasn't being insensitive or offensive to somebody who has had a miscarriage by expressing anger about lies being used in the abortion debate? I didn't even express an opinion on abortion (I know better than to that in the workplace!). So, AIBU to think I didn't do anything wrong and to conclude that my colleague was upset by other things (her miscarriage) and is projecting it onto my comments?