A new show from home improvement television stars Chip and Joanna Gaines have sparked backlash among faith-based viewers for featuring a same-sex couple.
As outspoken Christians, Chip and Joanna Gaines have cultivated a following among faith-based audiences over the years, who viewed the couple as a reliable source of politics-free entertainment; those sentiments changed this week, per Dallas Morning News:
Back to the Frontier, a new show from Waco’s Fixer Upper stars Chip and Joanna Gaines, has provoked ire online from some conservative Christians over the inclusion of a same-sex couple.
The Max and Magnolia Network joint venture follows three families in the Canadian Rockies as they navigate a technology-free, laborious summer meant to mimic the lifestyle of 1880s homesteaders.
Among the social experiment’s participants are Dallas couple Joe Riggs and Jason Hanna, who shared a 600-square-foot cabin with their 10-year-old twin sons, Ethan and Lucas, for eight weeks.
Since news of the same-sex couple’s inclusion first broke, evangelical leaders have voiced their displeasure on social media.
“I hope this isn’t true,” wrote Franklin Graham, son of late Rev. Billy Graham.
“While we are to love people, we should love them enough to tell them the truth of God’s Word. His Word is absolute truth. God loves us, and His design for marriage is between one man and one woman. Promoting something that God defines as sin is in itself sin,” Graham continued.
Chip Gaines, who executive produced the series with his wife, responded to the criticism in an X post on Sunday.
“Talk, ask [questions], listen.. maybe even learn. Too much to ask of modern American Christian culture. Judge 1st, understand later/never,” he wrote. “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.”
Talk, ask qustns, listen.. maybe even learn. Too much to ask of modern American Christian culture. Judge 1st, understand later/never
— Chip Gaines (@chipgaines) July 13, 2025
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💔
Ahead of the show’s release, Joe Riggs and Jason Hanna told Dallas Morning News they saw their participation in the show as an “opportunity to put ourselves out there and help normalize families like ours.” On Monday, Hanna said in an Instagram story that “representation matters deeply — especially for those who are still finding the courage to live their truth.”
Hanna posted an Instagram story on Monday, addressing the online backlash.
“When families like ours are visible, it opens doors for others to feel safe, loved, and validated. Visibility isn’t just about being seen; it’s about making sure no one feels alone,” he wrote.
Paul Roland Bois directed the award-winning Christian tech thriller, EXEMPLUM, which has a 100% Rotten Tomatoes critic rating and can be viewed for FREE on YouTube, Tubi, or Fawesome TV. “Better than Killers of the Flower Moon,” wrote Mark Judge. “You haven’t seen a story like this before,” wrote Christian Toto. A high-quality, ad-free rental can also be streamed on Google Play, Vimeo on Demand, or YouTube Movies. Follow him on X @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.
