Chip Gaines Defends Decision To Include Gay Couple On 'back To The Frontier' Show

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Television characteristic Chip Gaines defended nan inclusion of a same-sex mates successful “Back to nan Frontier,” a caller show featuring him and his wife, Joanna, astir families who springiness up exertion and effort to unrecorded arsenic homesteaders did successful nan 1800s.

The show features joined mates Jason Hanna and Joe Riggs and their 10-year-old copy sons, sparking backlash from salient belief conservatives online.

Franklin Graham, nan boy of evangelical pastor Billy Graham, said successful a post connected societal media that nan casting of a cheery mates is “very disappointing.”

“While we are to emotion people, we should emotion them capable to show them nan truth of God’s Word,” Graham said. “His Word is absolute truth. God loves us, and His creation for matrimony is betwixt 1 man and 1 woman. Promoting thing that God defines arsenic misdeed is successful itself sin.”

The Hanna-Riggs family connected “Back to nan Frontier.”

Gaines responded to nan disapproval successful a societal media station Sunday, encouraging group to inquire questions and “maybe moreover learn.”

He added, “It’s a sad Sunday erstwhile ‘non believers’ person ne'er been confronted pinch dislike aliases vitriol until they are introduced to a modern American Christian.”

Gaines has responded to dozens of different critics successful defense of Hanna and Riggs’ inclusion successful nan show, quoting Bible verses and saying there are different TV shows critics could watch.

In consequence to a professional who said “we are highly sad because of really overmuch we person grown to respect and admit you both,” Gaines responded encouraging Christians to “judge not” and “love 1 another.”

Hanna thanked Chip and Joanna Gaines successful a post connected his Instagram communicative Tuesday for “leading pinch love, listening, and learning.”

“Representation matters profoundly — particularly for those who are still uncovering nan courageousness to unrecorded their truth,” Hanna said successful a longer station responding to nan backlash from immoderate conservatives. “When families for illustration ours are visible, it opens doors for others to consciousness safe, loved, and validated. Visibility isn’t conscionable astir being seen; it’s astir making judge nary 1 feels alone.”

The mates has faced backlash before, but much often from those who support LGBTQ rights. They be nan Antioch Community Church, an evangelical religion successful Waco, Texas, which opposes same-sex marriage. In a 2021 interview pinch The Hollywood Reporter, Joanna Gaines said accusations that nan mates is racist and anti-LGBTQ are “so acold from who we really are” and that nan disapproval is “the worldly that keeps maine up.”