Chip Gaines: In times of trouble, youll find the Gaines family at church

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As we discussed last week, Chip and Joanna Gaines got a rare spot of bad press. The Gaineses are this year’s huge reality show breakout couple, with a hit HGTV show Fixer Upper, and more work and good press than they know what to do with. But last week, Buzzfeed did some digging into Chip and Joanna’s lives in Waco, Texas, and Buzzfeed learned that their pastor has a history of making offensive statements about LGBTQ people. The basic gist of the story was “The Gaineses go to a church that preaches gay conversion therapy and the sins of gay marriage.” Fixer Upper has also never featured a same-sex couple, and some wondered if the Gaineses believed everything that their pastor preaches. Of course, other people thought that Buzzfeed was “attacking” Christians for “going to church.” Again, no one is doing that. They can belong to any church they want. But they can’t discriminate against gay people on HGTV.

So, what’s new? Well, here’s something nice – I guess? Chip Gaines tweeted on Saturday:

Regardless of our decision to make a statement about all this craziness, or not, I ask that people please! respect @KateAurthur & @ginamei

— Chip Gaines (@chippergaines) December 3, 2016

Those are the Twitter handles of the two journalists who initially reported about the Gaines’ church. Part of me thinks he was just trying to tell his fans to go easy on the journalists, because this has become a hot-button pop culture BS moment just like that Duck Dynasty mess a few years ago. Another part of me thinks that he was actually making it easier for his fans to target those journalists on Twitter by posting their handles. You decide.

Then on Sunday, Chip tweeted this:

In times of trouble.. you'll find the gaines family at church.

— Chip Gaines (@chippergaines) December 4, 2016

So this is the message he wants to send: they will not give up their church or their faith. They will continue to go to the same church, even when their pastor preaches gay conversion therapy and anti-gay marriage crap. Again, that’s fine, and their personal choice. But are they discriminating against LGBTQ people in their personal and professional lives? Have they rejected potential clients because of the clients’ sexuality? Do they refuse to work with gay crew members? And on and on. Those are still the questions I have.

Couples that vote together.. stay together! #goVote pic.twitter.com/dU2XEMRCmU

— Chip Gaines (@chippergaines) November 8, 2016

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Covers courtesy of Parade and People.


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