Hello, Friends of the Pod!

Rob here! I have already received a few messages from friends saying that they took issue with something I said in Episode 2 of Down the Middle. In the spirit of making this podcast as organic as possible, we are almost always speaking off the cuff and will likely run into many situations where we later wish we would have phrased something differently.

I was speaking about the cultural shift that has happened in the country, and I was referring to homosexuality and transgenderism and the way in which Hollywood and music and entertainment "celebrates" this cultural shift. It was in the context of a discussion over what has driven many conservatives in America further to the Right probably since the early 60s. The exact term I used was "fringe" cultures. I have heard from several of my gay friends who wanted me to know that they don't consider being gay a "fringe" culture.

This was an example of something I didn't express in the correct manner. I should have said "non-traditional" cultures or something to that effect. As a liberal, I am one of those people who both celebrate and embrace every variety of human being in the world. Thank you to those who pointed out my poor choice of words and asked me politely to clarify.

Justin and I want everyone to know that we will submit clarifications for things that we genuinely believe need to be clarified, but we will never be pressured into going against our convictions. Disagreement is a GOOD thing. It is okay for us to have diversity of thought. We welcome any and all types of criticism and feedback and look forward to engaging with all those who agree or disagree with the views expressed in this podcast!

With love,
Rob Leifer