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3d ago

Chip and Joanna Gaines Confront Critics Over Gay Couple Casting on ‘Back to the Frontier’

Facing sustained evangelical backlash with pointed social media responses, Chip and Joanna Gaines plan to expand their brand with guest roles on Shark Tank this fall.

Chip and Joanna Gaines host the new HBO MAX show "Back to the Frontier," which features a gay couple and their sons.
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Overview

  • The Magnolia series “Back to the Frontier” continues to air on Magnolia Network and HBO Max with the Hanna-Riggs family living as 1880s homesteaders alongside two other modern families.
  • Evangelical leader Franklin Graham publicly condemned the inclusion of Jason Hanna and Joe Riggs as “very disappointing” and labeled the portrayal of same-sex parenting as sinful.
  • Chip Gaines has countered criticism on social media, urging modern American Christians to “talk, ask questions, listen… maybe even learn” and invoking a call for gentleness and respect from 1 Peter 3:15.
  • Jason Hanna and Joe Riggs have praised the casting as an opportunity to “normalize families like ours” and stressed that visibility “opens doors for others to feel safe, loved, and validated.”
  • The Gaineses, who previously refuted accusations of anti-LGBTQ bias and supported social causes like Black Lives Matter, will further expand their platform as guest judges on Shark Tank Season 17 this fall.