Christian hardliners have turned on HGTV’s evangelical stars Chip and Joanna Gaines for casting a same-sex couple in a new series where families live as the pioneers did in the 1800s.
Back to the Frontier premiered last week on the couple’s Magnolia Network, the cable network they co-founded with Warner Bros. Discovery. Among the couples featured on the show are Jason and Joe Hanna-Riggs, from Texas, and their 10-year-old twin sons who were born via a surrogate.
This “unbiblical” family set-up caused outrage among some members of the ultra-conservative evangelical church, with the Gainses—who starred in the HGTV show Fixer Upper and are now executive producers on Back to the Frontier—taking serious heat.
Evangelist Franklin Graham, son of the pastor President Trump praised as “legendary,” the late Billy Graham, called the same-sex casting “very disappointing” in a post on X.
“God loves us, and His design for marriage is between one man and one woman,” Graham said. “Promoting something that God defines as sin is in itself sin.”
Ed Vitagliano of the American Family Association said the Magnolia Network was “expected to uphold” biblical values because the Gaineses had been open about their faith in the past.
“This is sad and disappointing, because Chip and Joanna Gaines have been very influential in the evangelical community,” Vitagliano posted on X. “We aren’t sure why the Gaines have reversed course, but we are sure of this: Back to the Frontier promotes an unbiblical view of human sexuality, marriage, and family – a view no Christian should embrace.”
The Gaineses, who found fame on the renovation show Fixer Upper, do not appear in Back to the Frontier themselves but were heavily involved in production.
In a tweet on Sunday, Chip Gaines hit back at the criticism: “Talk, ask questions, listen… maybe even learn. Too much to ask of modern American Christian culture. Judge 1st, understand later/never.”
He added, “It’s a sad Sunday when ‘non believers’ have never been confronted with hate or vitriol until they are introduced to a modern American Christian.”
The Hanna-Riggs run their own Instagram account, 2 Dallas Dads, and said they signed up to the reality show as they wanted to represent same-sex couples, and the issues they face, on TV.
“I was on board with the whole concept of continuing to normalize same-sex families,” Joe Riggs told Queerty.
“I think, through our Instagram… that’s one of the reasons we put ourselves out there: because of our adoption issues, there’s a need [to recognize] that other families are having these struggles still—and in plenty of other states—so it was just important for us to continue to spread that message.”
Among those criticising the couple was Joel Berry, managing editor of the right-wing satirical news website the Babylon Bee, who took issue with Chip Gaines’ talk of hatred and vitriol. “You’ll see no hate from me,” he wrote.
“I’m just sad. I can’t let my kids watch your show now, since I’m trying to protect their eyes and hearts from the lies of the world—lies you’re now participating in.”
Gaines replied, “Don’t be sad Joel… plenty of other stuff out there. I’m sure everyone will be fine.”
The Gaineses have dealt with same-sex controversy before. Fixer Upper never had a same-sex couple, and in 2016 the pair platformed a pastor who had spoken out against LGBTQ rights. That year the couple donated to Chip’s sister, Shannon Braun, who had spoken out against teaching critical race theory.
“The accusations that get thrown at you” Joanna Gaines told The Hollywood Reporter in 2021, “like you’re a racist or you don’t like people in the LGBTQ community, that’s the stuff that really eats my lunch — because it’s so far from who we really are. That’s the stuff that keeps me up.”