'It's surreal:' Man shocked his engagement photo at center of Gaston County controversy

Bren Hipp hasn't spent much time in Gaston County. Now, he's not inclined to come.

Hipp, who lives in Albemarle with his husband, Justin, was featured in a photograph taken at a 2019 Pride event. In the photo, the couple is kissing. Justin had just proposed to him.

The photo was featured briefly in an exhibition at the Gaston County Museum of Art and History, but County Manager Kim Eagle told museum staff to remove the photo and work with the photographer, Grant Baldwin, to find an alternative photography to display, something "that would be more considerate of differing viewpoints in the community," according to a statement released by the county.

All of this came as a shock to Hipp, who didn't even know that a photo of their engagement had been on display at the museum.

"So that was first of all exciting to see that we were included in that, then just immediately after was the surprise that the photo was asked to be taken down," Hipp said.

The county said in a statement released Tuesday night that the museum is government funded, "and as such, it is important for the items it shares to be informational without championing political issues. As a public administrator, there is a delicate balance between the effort to foster an inclusive workplace and community, while avoiding political advocacy."

"My reply to that is, well, it is (political advocacy). There should be nothing wrong with that," Hipp said.

He said that people are exposed to political media every day from a variety of subcultures.

"Why the LGBT community? Why now? I find it very serendipitous that it's happening during Pride Month," he said.

Bren and Justin Hipp married on Oct. 4, 2020. Their marriage came in the midst of regulations related to the COVID-19 pandemic, with an additional twist — a videographer refused to film their wedding because the couple is gay.

"We had someone tell us they could not service our wedding because they did not service same-sex weddings. I said, 'Wow, I thought we were past that,'" Hipp said.

Now, years later, for their engagement photo to end up at the center of a controversy left him with a sense of disbelief, Hipp said.

"Just fighting to be myself on a daily basis, and then all of this just coming out in the news and everyone seeing it, it's surreal."

Hipp said that he hasn't spent much time in Gaston County, although he has friends here. The photo's removal from the museum makes him feel unwelcome.

"I just think it shows the message that we're not welcome. Our love is not recognized. Our purpose is not recognized. I say a lot of times that we are who we are, we are not what we are. It feels like it diminishes me as a whole person," he said. "We are here just as equally as anyone else. It doesn't make me feel inclined to support that community if they're not supporting us."

Reporter Kara Fohner can be reached at 704-869-1850 or at kfohner@gannett.com. Support local journalism by subscribing here.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Albemarle man says photo's removal from Gaston County museum a shock