A gay couple has appeared on the reboot of reality TV series Wife Swap.
Based in Atlanta, husbands Terrell and Jarius Joseph, who have two children, swapped spouses with Matt and Nina Goss who are - you guessed it - a religious couple with eight kids.
Predictably, drama ensued, but not the kind you might expect, with some viewers criticising husband Jarius of being unnecessarily antagonistic with religious wife Nina.
“God comes first,” Nina commented during the episode, asking Jarius to lead the blessing over her family's meal. She later added: “I felt like it was really important to show him what the true love of God is.”
Jarius said in response: “It just made me feel as though Nina thinks God is not present enough in my household because we’re gay.
“And that’s just super-frustrating because someone is passing judgment on a situation that they don’t know about.”
“Do you feel like being gay is a sin?” Jarius later prodded Nina.
“I feel like the Bible does tell us that being gay is a sin,” she replied, before adding that she doesn't believe it's her place to judge.
“How is it okay for me to tell someone you’re not worthy of my love because you love a person of the same sex? That doesn’t seem fair to me.”
Speaking to Gays With Kids, Jarius and Terrell said they were motivated to appear on the program by a desire to champion inclusion.
“To be able to show the world what it’s like being in a same-sex family and break negative stereotypes associated with it was truly rewarding," they said.
“It was tough to face some of the hot-button issues; especially sexual orientation,” they added. “However, it was a conversation that was needed so we can show the world how it affects us as a community. We understand that growth is sometimes uncomfortable but it is necessary nonetheless.
“We hope this episode allows everyone outside of our community to see that our family is rooted in love. We want people to know that our children are loved beyond measure, protected from harm, and are being taught to be kind and accepting of others who are different than them. While our family is non-traditional, we are a family nonetheless!”
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