Here at The Gay Lane, we Pride ourselves on celebrating queer culture in unexpected places. But we never expected to find it on the frontier in the 1880s?!
And yet, here we are, having a gay old time in rickety cabins from a bygone era. Back to the Frontier, a new reality show from Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Network, tasks three families with living off the land, like 1880s homesteaders. Sounds pretty hetero, but one of the families is a gay Texas couple with twin boys. Naturally, the inclusion caused a stir with riled Christian homophobes. But for every lost viewer, the Gaines’ gained new audiences like us.
After Nathan wrote a story about the series, we’re unpacking our thoughts on Back to the Frontier — what we love about it, why it works, and what it says about the “farmhouse-chic” couple who built their brand on wholesome Christian domesticity. Also, so many pickles?!
We also dip into The Simple Life, another reality show we recently re-visited, and plot our inevitable visit to Altus, Arkansas.
Thank you for reading, following, and listening!
With Pride,
Matt and Nathan
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