Joanna Gaines and her husband Chip Gaines are the latest to be under fire after several allegations have come up saying they are racist and anti-LGBTQ+. The founders of The Magnolia became popular after their HGTV show "Fixer-Upper" aired, which several pointed out that never focus on same-sex couples. The Gaines' are also under watch after earlier this year they donated money to Chip's sister campaign, which is against teaching critical race theory for a school board position located in Texas.
According to BuzzFeed, several critics have also taken an issue with close friends of the family and their Pastor for supporting gay conversion therapy, which several members of the LGBTQ community have described as disturbingly painful and a traumatizing experience.
Read More: Chip and Joanna Gaines: Inside Their 17-Year Texas Love Story
While Joanna and Chip didn't comment on those instances, Joanna stated that seeing the reaction from people did bother her. Speaking with THR, she stated, "Sometimes I'm like, 'Can I just make a statement?'' The accusations that get thrown at you, like you're a racist or you don't like people in the LGBTQ community, that's the stuff that really eats my lunch — because it's so far from who we really are. That's the stuff that keeps me up."
Joanna herself comes from a mixed household and has stated that she was bullied for it as a child. The recent conversations and discussions about diversity also stem from Anti-Asians crime and sentiment that has been occurring earlier this year, especially since Joanna is half Korean on her mom's side. Speaking with "Darling" magazine she noted, "My mom is full Korean and my dad is Caucasian. Kids in kindergarten would make fun of me for being Asian, and when you're that age, you don't really know how to process that. The way you take that is, 'Who I am isn't good enough."
Saying that her mother was also a heavy target of hate, she said that her mom was tough, but when it came to a hate comment about her nationality, it would shut her down. She told The Hollywood Reporter, "That's why she didn't know how to help me when I would come home and say, 'So-and-so called me this.' It was also happening to her. Growing up as half-Asian, half-Caucasian, I get what that feels like to not be accepted and to not be loved. That's the last thing I want anyone to ever feel."
The "Fixer Upper" stars are set to launch their new network, Magnolia Network, later this month saying that they're striving to be inclusive. Chip Gaines stated, "as an American white male, it's hard to be perfectly diverse. In our own company, we've got nearly 700 employees, and one of our biggest passions is making this group represent all people." This isn't the first time that the couple has spoken about race. Back in 2017, Chip wrote a lengthy blog, saying, "Joanna and I have personal convictions. One of them is this: We care about you for the simple fact that you are a person, our neighbor on planet earth. It's not about what color your skin is, how much money you have in the bank, your political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender, nationality or faith."
Along with their five children, the couple appeared on "Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man'' with Emmanuel Acho last year, who commended the couple's decision to teach their kids to be color blind. But, Acho said it was best that people raise their kids to see color because there is beauty in color and there's beauty in every culture. To which Chip responded, "Our kids here, our five, and each one of them have a different look, each one of them have a different eye color. But, you know, each one of our kids have these uniquenesses and maybe to your point, it's OK to highlight those things, you know?"
