As one of the top politicians in deep-red Tennessee, Lt. Gov. Randy McNally (R) has joined the anti-LGBTQ+ wave sweeping the Republican Party. With McNally as the head of the state senate, Tennessee passed bills earlier this year banning transgender children from receiving gender-affirming care and outlawing drag performances from many public spaces.
But on Instagram, McNally takes a more encouraging tone towards at least one LGBTQ youth—leaving heart emojis and other compliments on raunchy photos of an aspiring 20-year-old Tennessee performer, including one close-up shot of the man’s butt.
McNally’s Instagram comments, which were first reported by digital news site The Tennessee Holler, were left on the page of Knoxville native Franklyn McClur.
In November, for example, McClur posted an entirely nude picture that only narrowly avoided showing his penis.
“Great picture, Finn!” McNally commented, referencing McClur’s nickname. “Best wishes for continued health and happiness.”
McNally responded to a picture of McClur wearing skimpy underwear in September with heart emojis, adding “love it.”
In January, McNally posted heart emojis on a picture of McClur that almost exposed his genitals. That same month, McClur posted the close-up picture of his butt, covered only in underwear.
“Finn, you can turn a rainy day into rainbows and sunshine!” McNally wrote.
McNally also commented on McClur’s videos. In a December 2022 video, McClur suggestively wiggled his tongue while singing. McNally responded with hearts and flame emojis, adding “very good.”
In a statement to The Daily Beast, McNally spokesman Adam Kleinheider insisted that McNally is just a “prolific social media commenter” who has “no intention of stopping” his posts.
“Trying to imply something sinister or inappropriate about a great-grandfather’s use of social media says more about the mind of the left-wing operative making the implication than it does about Randy McNally,” the statement read. “As anyone in Tennessee politics knows, Lt. Governor McNally is a prolific social media commenter. He takes great pains to view every post he can and frequently posts encouraging things to many of his followers. Does he always use the proper emoji at the proper time? Maybe not. But he enjoys interacting with constituents and Tennesseans of all religions, backgrounds and orientations on social media. He has no intention of stopping.”
Asked for other examples of McNally’s “prolific” social media use, Kleinheider didn’t respond.
McNally’s interest in McClur extends beyond the young man’s own Instagram account. He also follows a “fan page” that posts edited pictures of McClur, including one with a background declaring him a “bad bitch.”
McClur might make for an unusual Instagram friend for the first person in line for the governor’s mansion. At one point, according his Instagram posts, McClur’s profile on the site included the message “I am a HOE!”
“I’m the one that gets free weed for giving head!” McClur wrote in his profile.
McClur told The Tennessee Holler that he’s never met the lieutenant governor, but that they’ve been online friends since 2020. In a series of Instagram direct messages, McClur told The Daily Beast he thinks McNally follows him because he “enjoys who I am.”
“I hope he can extend that kindness by trying to make sure no bills are passed to hurt anyone like me.”
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