Overview

• Back to the Frontier premiered July 10 on Magnolia Network and HBO Max and continues to feature Jason Hanna, Joe Riggs and their twin sons adapting to 19th-century frontier life.
• Chip Gaines used a July 13 post on X to defend the casting and to urge his Christian audience to talk and listen rather than judge.
• Evangelist Franklin Graham and many conservative viewers have condemned the inclusion as conflicting with traditional biblical definitions of marriage.
• Jason Hanna and Joe Riggs said they feel honored by their selection and stressed that visibility of LGBTQ families can foster acceptance and validation.
• The ongoing discussion underscores the tension faith-based brands face in balancing a traditional evangelical fan base with broader cultural calls for inclusion.