While Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Back to the Frontier reality series sparked controversy for featuring a same-sex couple, a poignant moment in the latest episode re-framed the entire conversation.
As husbands Jason Hanna and Joe Riggs read about how gay men once lived together on the frontier, hidden in plain sight, their story transformed from a target of backlash to the heart of the series. For the first time, the show educated viewers on a buried chapter of LGBTQ history that’s rarely, if ever, depicted in Western narratives.
During a beautiful and poignant scene, Jason and Joe read from an almanac describing what their real-life counterparts might have faced in the 1800s. As the couple reflected on their challenges in the simulation, especially with their twin sons struggling to adapt, the discovery became a powerful moment. It revealed that even in that era, gay people found ways to survive, and their lives weren’t always defined by heteronormativity. For Joe and Jason, who once had to fight for the right to exist as a family, the scene underscored why their presence in this historical experiment matters so deeply.
‘Back to the Frontier’ Provides a Rare Glimpse Into Queer Family Life in the 1880s
As Jason and Joe struggled with gender norms during their homestead life, the husbands took a moment to assess their situation. “An opportunity to live your own life, homesteading required hard work, so two men living together wouldn’t have been unusual,” Joe said, reading from the almanac. “It was referred to as ‘batching.’ In the 1880s, homosexuality was illegal. Society regarded it as wrong, but there is no doubt the homestead community contained same-sex couples.” Upon reading the passage, a light filled both men’s eyes as it became clear how gay couples survived this harrowing time.
In fact, the rural nature of homesteads made it easier for gay men to live their lives and run a successful homestead together. Despite the hardships, it was a way for them to be free. This was a reality check as the almanac then showed them pictures of men together as they could “recognize the look of people in love, and it’s apparent in these pictures,” as Jason said..
Despite the recent backlash, the Dallas dads are essential to the show’s narrative. Without Jason and Joe, the experiment wouldn’t have explored what life might’ve been like for a queer family in the 1880s, which was a storyline rarely seen outside of Brokeback Mountain. Bringing their sons into this space opened up vital conversations and challenged critics who dismissed their casting. Their presence wasn’t performative; it added real historical depth to a largely forgotten part of the American frontier.
Why the Dallas Dads’ Storyline Was Essential to the Frontier Experiment
Before gay marriage was legalized in the United States, Jason and Joe were married in Washington, D.C., but their marriage was not recognized in their home state of Texas. They decided to start a family, using a surrogate, who gave birth to two boys, Ethan and Lucas — the boys you see on the show. Because of the state’s rules, they were denied the opportunity to be legally recognized as their sons’ fathers on their birth certificates, despite a petition to the courts. Thankfully, after a two-year battle and the legalization of same-sex marriage in the country, their fight had a happy ending.
With this context in mind, the scene in Back to the Frontier is almost more emotional. Their sons, now 10 years old, may push their envelopes, but the fact that they can be called a family is something so heartwarming. It makes their presence on this show even more pivotal. The Hanna-Riggs family represents all same-sex couples and their children. Whether in the 19th century or the 21st century, there will always be adversity for LGBTQ+ individuals. Having the opportunity to learn from the past is the objective of this show. Now, the stakes have been raised even more.
Back to the Frontier airs Thursdays on Magnolia Network. All episodes are available to stream on HBO Max.