Anti-drag GOP Tennessee Lt. Gov has 'no intention of stopping' posting heart and fire emojis on erotic Instagram pics of young man, spokesperson says

• The Tennessee Lt. Gov. was left heart and fire emojis on a young man's erotic Instagram posts.
• He recently presided over the passage of a bill that bans the performance of drag in public.
• A spokesperson said he may not have used the "proper emoji" but "has no intention of stopping."

Tennessee Lieutenant Gov. Randy McNally, a staunch Republican who recently presided over the passage of two bills targeting the transgender community, left a series of complimentary comments on a young gay man's racy Instagram posts.

The Tennessee Holler first reported the lawmaker's comments on Wednesday, revealing that McNally left messages with heart and flame emojis on a series of photos of a barely-clothed 20-year-old man named Franklyn McClur, who said McNally, 79, had been following him on social media for a few years.

"I just thought he was older and out of touch. I've always taken it as a compliment," McClur told the outlet. "I don't dislike him or think he's a bad person, he's one of the only people who has consistently uplifted me and made me feel good."

As president of Tennessee's state Senate, McNally recently presided over the passage of two bills that ban gender-affirming health care for minors and restrict the performance of drag in public.

Asked about the comments by Action News 5, a spokesperson for McNally issued a statement confirming that the politician made the comments and characterizing them as an innocent use of social media by an elderly man. 

"As anyone in Tennessee politics knows, Lt. Governor McNally is a prolific social media commenter," the spokesperson said. "Does he always use the proper emoji at the proper time? Maybe not."

The spokesperson added that McNally "enjoys interacting with constituents and Tennesseans of all religions, backgrounds, and orientations" and "has no intention of stopping."

—Walter Murphy (@WMurphyNews) March 9, 2023