Evangelical Christian HGTV Fixer Upper stars Chip and Joanna Gaines are in hot water for featuring a homosexual couple in their new show, Back to the Frontier - and they aren't backing down, according to Fox News.
But while the backlash from Bible-believing Christians over a supposedly Christ-following family promoting the gay lifestyle makes perfect sense to anyone to understands Scripture, many liberal websites have predictably defended the Gaines family, accusing Evangelicals of "losing it." For example, TheCut and TheDailyBeast labeled the concerned Christians as “ultra-conservative,” “right-wing Christian,” or even “ghouls” that are too extreme with their Christian views and need to tone it down.
But the Christian backlash is far from extreme.
This past Thursday, Magnolia Network co-owners Chip and Joanna Gaines aired their first episode of Back to the Frontier, which features three families abandoning all 21st-century technology and living as 1800s pioneers, according to CNN.
Everything about the show seemed normal until two Texas men, Jason and Joe Hanna-Riggs, arrived with their 10-year-old twin sons, who were born via a surrogate, Yahoo News reports.
Hanna and Riggs, who go by @2_dallas_dads on Instagram, spoke in a recent interview with LGBTQ+ outlet Queerty about how they were inspired to apply for the show after seeing a gay couple on the front of the show’s advertisement on social media.
“This was a great, amazing opportunity to normalize same-sex couples and same-sex families,” Hanna said. “They did choose a same-sex couple as a modern-day family, because we are. We are your neighbors and your coworkers.”
Why are you promoting homosexuality as a Christian?
— Jon Root (@JonnyRoot_) July 11, 2025
Why compromise on the Bible’s clear teachings on this?
Why support homosexuals buying kids?
Disappointed would be an understatement… pic.twitter.com/ecGuXGp7wB
The Gaines family, who are professed Christians and the executive producers of the series, have received significant backlash on social media from many conservative Christian pastors, organizations, and media commentators, and it's completely reasonable.
Rev. Franklin Graham, son of the Evangelist Billy Graham, said on X, “While we are to love people, we should love them enough to tell them the truth of God’s Word. 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.”
Babylon Bee managing editor Joel Berry, expressed regret that he can’t have his kids watch the Gaines' show now because he must protect his kids’ “eyes and hearts from the lies of the world.”
To which Chip Gaines, a father of five, gave an apathetic response: “Don’t be sad, Joel…plenty of other stuff out there. I’m sure everyone will be fine.”
Gaines went on to address the backlash from evangelical Christians by posting on X: “Talk, ask qustns, listen.. maybe even learn. Too much to ask of modern American Christian culture. Judge 1st, understand later/never.”
Perhaps the most intense controversy was between faith, sports, and culture commentator Jon Root and Gaines.
After Root asked Gaines why he promoted homosexuality and surrogate children as a Christian, the latter responded by quoting 1 Peter 3:15, which is posted on Root’s X biography. The verse commands Christians to speak with gentleness and respect. Gaines finished with, “I really felt the hope, and gentleness and respect here…”
Root blamed Gaines for going to his X bio and intentionally using his life verse against him.
Without denying the accusation, Gains replied with “Ha…I didn’t try to use it against you, I did use it against you…it’s pretty weird to have a life verse that has specific messaging and instruction that you don’t even come close to applying. But it does seem like you love the attention, so enjoy…”
What Gaines and the liberal media need to realize is that the Christian backlash isn’t radical. In fact, Christianity has always rejected homosexuality - and the kind of snobbery Gaines is using.
Forget Back to the Frontier. Just get back to the Bible.
Photo by: Screenshot, Back To The Frontier | Official Trailer on YouTube
