'Back to the Frontier' Gay Couple Tackle Hate Head On with Insta Post

Married gay couple Jason Hanna and Joe Riggs and their 10-year-old twin sons were among three families featured on "Back to the Frontier," a reality show in which they had to figure out how to live the way our American ancestors did more than a century ago. But back in the modern world, they had another tough challenge: Online hate spouted by religious-right trolls who denounced and dismissed them as "sinners" and "unbiblical".

The family, unbowed by the rigors of frontier life, were not about to back down in the face of slurs from keyboard warriors.

"Hanna took to social media to address the critics and explain why he thinks it's important for viewers to see a family like his on their TV screens," People Magazine relayed.

Posting at Instagram Stories, Hanna explained, "Representation matters deeply – especially for those who are still finding the courage to live their truth.

"When families like ours are visible, it opens doors for others to feel safe, loved, and validated," Hanna continued in the post, which went up on July 14. "Visibility isn't just about being seen; it's about making sure no one feels alone."

"His message was written over a repost of a news article with the headline, 'Conservative Christians rage at reality show for letting gay people on,'" People noted.

The following day, Hanna added new messages to Instagram Stories, superimposing his comments on other articles.

"Thank you @chipgaines and @joannagaines for leading with love, listening, and learning," he commented on an earlier story from People.

The show is produced by Chip and Joanna Gaines, described by Men's Journal as "popular HGTV personalities who created their own TV network and have a massive following from Evangelical Christians".

The Daily Beast recalled that the Gainses "starred in the HGTV show 'Fixer Upper' and are now executive producers on 'Back to the Frontier,'" for which they're now "taking serious heat." Joining the Hanna-Riggses on the show are two heterosexual couples and their children, with one of those families being African-American.

"'Back to the Frontier,' which premiered on Thursday, July 10, is a reality series that transports three families back in time as they try to replicate the lifestyle that 19th-century Western pioneers lived," People explained. "Each family is tasked with navigating the challenges that come with living off the land without any modern amenities."

The means the three families adapt to wooden houses that seem to be little more than shacks. Surrendering their electronic devices, the families (parents and kids alike) come to grips with the rustic realities of a life offline and apart from modern reality, including the absence of indoor plumbing.

But it wasn't the families' fortitude, courage, resourcefulness, or even deep devotion that some viewers – and some critics who didn't even bother to view the show – zeroed in on. As previously reported, homophobic haters came swarming from the woodwork, pointing to the Bible and dismissing the Hanna-Riggs family – and the Gaineses, too – as "sinners."

The American Family Association's Ed Vitagliano took to X (formerly Twitter) to accuse the Hanna-Riggses of being an "unbiblical" family, and calling the family's inclusion emblematic of "a view no Christian should embrace."

As the vitriol rained down, Chip Gaines sought to bring a modicum of civility – and remind the trolls of the actual teachings of the Christian faith.

"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," Gaines posted.

The producer encouraged the faith-based critics to "Talk, ask qustns, listen.. maybe even learn," though he also seemed to despair, lamenting that it might be "Too much to ask of modern American Christian culture. Judge 1st, understand later/never".

Some online came to the Gaines' defense. "Hang in there Chip," one person encouraged him, before adding that he was a pastor and offering the thought that, "My job/your job/our job/ is not to convict people of sin. That's the Holy Spirit's job!"

To underscore the point, the supportive pastor quoted from scripture: "By this will all know that you are my disciples, when you love when one another!""

Another supportive commentator put things more succinctly: "It's sad that so called Christians find so much energy to be hate. If they don't believe in something, they can choose not to watch."

Posting about their experience on the show, the Hanna-Riggses focused on the wholesome family time the venture into a now-vanished way of living gave them.

"We are extremely honored to be one of the three modern day families going #BacktotheFrontier because visibility matters and so important," the Hanna-Riggses posted on their Instagram page.

"The first several days adapting to our new reality wasn't easy," they added. "We had so many things we had to figure out in just the first few hours before sunset just to get through that first evening."

Still, "Thank you @magnolianetwork @hbomax @chipgaines @joannagaines for this incredible journey and experience and these forever lasting memories!" the family posted, along with photos from the show.

In a subsequent Instagram Stories post, Hanna shared a friend's post in which the friend encouraged readers to "Watch. The. Damn. Show." – something that not all the naysayers seemed to have done.

Watch a trailer for the show below.