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Chip and Joanna Gaines of “Fixer Upper” fame are facing criticism from some Christian conservatives over their new Magnolia Network show, “Back to the Frontier.” The reality series, which follows modern families living like 19th-century homesteaders, features a gay couple, Jason Hanna and Joe Riggs, alongside two other families.
Franklin Graham, son of the late evangelist Billy Graham, expressed his disappointment with the casting on social media, stating that promoting anything God defines as sin is itself a sin. He cited the Bible’s definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman.
Chip Gaines responded to the criticism, also via social media, expressing his sadness at the vitriol directed at the couple from within the Christian community. He challenged the “judge first, understand later/never” mentality he feels pervades some segments of modern American Christianity.
Hanna and Riggs, parents of 10-year-old twins, expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to represent same-sex families on the show, emphasizing their role as everyday neighbors and community members. They see their inclusion as a step towards normalizing same-sex families.
The show chronicles the challenges these families face as they attempt to live without modern conveniences like electricity, emulating the pioneer lifestyle of the 1880s. “Back to the Frontier” airs Thursdays on Magnolia Network.