Reality TV stars Chip and Joanna Gaines are continuing to face backlash from conservative Christians over their decision to feature a gay couple on their new show, “Back to the Frontier,” and the couple, both longtime professing Christians, have responded by calling the criticism “hate and vitriol.”
For background, Chip and Joanna Gaines launched their latest show, “Back to the Frontier,” in the summer of 2025, and they quickly were met with criticism from conservative Christians over the casting of a gay couple, Jason Hanna and Joe Riggs. The casting choice has been called “disappointing” by prominent faith leaders and has appeared to create a rift in the Gaines’ fanbase.
In response to the decision, numerous prominent pastors and Christian commentators spoke out online, including Franklin Graham, who called the featuring of the Hanna-Riggs family “disappointing.” He wrote on X, “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.”
Continuing, Graham said that “God loves us,” adding, “His design for marriage is between one man and one woman. Promoting something that God defines as sin is in itself sin.” However, Graham also faced backlash in the comments section, with one X user asking, “Why haven’t you called out Trump’s sins?”
Likewise, noted conservative commentator Megan Basham spoke out as well, describing herself as a “very early booster” of Chip and Joanna Gaines and explaining that she “wrote multiple articles in Christian magazines recommending their first show.” However, Basham said that the decision “disappoints me in a way I can hardly express.”
In addition, Basham said, “Recall that LGBTQ activists criticized them for not featuring gay couples on Fixer Upper and they stood strong. I was so proud of them. So proud of their clear, but loving witness.” She continued, “And now here we are. Not only are they featuring a gay couple, but one that has robbed two boys of their natural right to a mother and father.”
However, Dr. Kevin M. Young, a prominent progressive and “post-Evangelical” personality, summed up the controversy with a satirical headline: “BREAKING: Christians furious over Chip and Joanna Gaines famously forget they pray to a man with two dads.” Dr. Young also faced criticism, including from one commenter who wrote, “Mocking God is always a bad bet.” Dr. Young responded, “BREAKING: God is one of the dads.”
Additionally, Chip Gaines himself responded to the criticism by saying on X, “Talk, ask qustns, listen.. maybe even learn. Too much to ask of modern American Christian culture. Judge 1st, understand later/never.” He continued, “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.” Conservative commentator Matt Walsh replied, “Maybe you should endeavor to understand the basic moral teachings of your own alleged religion before you give lectures to other people about their lack of understanding.”
Featured image credit: Chip Gaines via X