If you’ve ever sat in a nail salon or a doctor’ office waiting room, you have seen an episode of Fixer Upper and you know who Chip and Joanna Gaines are.
But If you’ve never been sick in bed or watched TV in a public place, the Gaines’ are a Texas power couple who have turned home reno shows into a multimillion dollar media brand. They popularized the “modern farmhouse” aesthetic, starred in multiple television shows, started their own network, and have produced a variety of projects.
Most importantly, their brand includes their White American Evangelical Christianity. They play to a very specific audience, and they have done an excellent job of living up to the expectations of their God-fearing viewers. Sure, I’ve seen Fixer Upper, but I long ago realized that I am not their target audience: They never featured queer people or couples on their home renovation programs. They didn’t support me, I didn’t support them, and that was okay. I’ve always assumed that most queer people feel the same.
So, why am I writing about them? Because I have long wondered when there would be a reckoning for this couple. No one experiences that much fame and success and makes it out unscathed. Not even them.
Back to The Frontier premiered last week on max. Produced by the Gaines’ Magnolia Network, the show features three families who give up modern day comforts and technology to live as 19th century pioneers. One of the families is–GASP!–a same-sex couple. That’s right, gay dads and their two young boys are on the Magnolia Network, and the conservative Christian fanbase is losing it. I only know about this because I occasionally pop back onto the wasteland that is Twitter (err, X) and my timeline revealed some drama with Chip Gaines. Let me warn you, the comments that he and Joanna are receiving on social media are nasty. As a thick-skinned queer mama I am reeling at the hate being spewed. Words like blasphemous and sodomy and oh you know, groomer, are being tossed around like a bag of dildos. The commenters are accusing the Gaines’ of “going against the Bible,” being “anti-faith” and “anti-family,” and “normalizing sinful living.”
Why am I talking my wife’s ear off about this controversy and obsessing over the backlash? Because I am honestly perplexed by this move by Chip and Joanna Gaines. They have spent years creating a conservative Christian fan-base. Family Values types, ya know? So why would they choose to piss off the people who have gotten them here? If they want to come out and make political statements they have the platform to do so. They can support LGBTQ+ initiatives, or speak out against hate and bigotry on any number of talk shows, but instead they produced Back to The Frontier, and shared the trailer on their socials like, NBD guys.
We all know about the Bud Light backlash over Dyan Mulvaney’s single can of beer. We know how the conservatives got Target to turn its back on Pride collections. We’ve seen this play out, and in the end, it hurts LGBTQ+ people and our families.
I’m not saying that I don’t want to see more queer families normalized on mainstream television. We exist! Sure, you can hide your family from real-world diversity. You can home-school your kids and keep them off the internet, but eventually they will grow up and integrate into society, one which includes queer people and our families. We are your neighbors and co-workers, and banning books or boycotting shows and brands that acknowledge our existence does not make us go away.
So I’m left wondering, what happens now?
I’m into the discourse here. I wanna hear your thoughts. Please, reach out to me at la********@***********op.com or comment on Instagram and tell me what you think.
Hey there. Laura Leigh here. I’m a wife, writer, mama, small business owner, podcast host, and the Head of Content here at Pink Robin.
I love supporting the queer community and bringing shared experiences to life.
If you have a story to tell, I’m here for it.
la********@***********op.com
Pink Robin, We’re a home for queer millennial voices—no fame, no filters, no perfection required. The stories of queer people are beautiful, bold, and deeply worth telling.
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