Tennessee's No. 2 Republican Repeatedly Gushes over Gay Man's NSFW Instagram Photos: 'No Intention of Stopping' The comments — which range from heart and fire emojis to positive affirmations beneath shirtless photos — were posted from McNally's official, verified Instagram account and come as Tennessee pushes through a number of bills aimed at the LGBTQ+ community By People Staff Published on March 9, 2023 12:28PM EST Leave a Comment Randy McNally. Credit : Tennessee General Assembly Tennessee's Republican Lt. Gov. Randy McNally has "no intentions of stopping," his office said, after a series of positive comments he posted on an LGBTQ+ man's Instagram photos have come to light. The comments — which range from heart and fire emojis to positive affirmations beneath shirtless photos — were posted from McNally's official, verified Instagram account and were publicized as the state's Republican majority pushes through a string of legislation aimed at the LGBTQ+ community. The Tennessee Holler was the first to report on the comments, which 79-year-old McNally posted on the Instagram page of 20-year-old Franklyn McClur, who goes by "Finn." McClur told the outlet that he and McNally first connected on Facebook, via mutual friends, but have never met in person. But the seeming lack of an in-person connection hasn't stopped McNally from posting frequent comments on McClur's page. RuPaul's Drag Race Queens Speak Out Against Anti-Trans, Anti-Drag Legislation amid 200th Episode "Great picture, Finn!" McNally commented on a photo that shows McClur almost entirely nude. "Best wishes for continued health and happiness." Beneath another photo, that showed a close-up of McClur's butt, the lieutenant governor wrote: "Finn, you can turn a rainy day into rainbows and sunshine!" Other comments frequently feature heart emojis or other positive affirmations, such as "Hi sunshine!" and "Love this picture." Randy McNally Instagram comments. Instagram McNally's office has not disputed that the Republican left the comments, saying in a statement that he "enjoys interacting with constituents and Tennesseans of all religions, backgrounds and orientations on social media. He has no intention of stopping." "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 lieutenant governor's spokesperson Adam Kleinheider said in the statement, per The Tennessean. Kleinheider added in the statement that the lieutenant governor "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." Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories. Speaking to the Holler, McClur — who is gay — said that he appreciated McNally's comments. "I just thought he was older and out of touch. I've always taken it as a compliment. 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." In a separate interview with The Tennessean, McClur said the two had also exchanged messages "a little privately but I am going to keep those private." But when told about a series of new bills in Tennessee that target the LGBTQ+ community — including an anti-trans youth health care bill, and one that places restrictions on drag performances, McClur responded: "It's wrong to ban drag, wrong to ban anything that isn't hurting anyone. I don't support hate of any kind." McNally, who is married with two adult children, has been less publicly supportive of the anti-LGBTQ+ measures than some of his Republican colleagues. In remarks to reporters made Thursday, he noted that he previously spoke out against a bill that would allow adoption agencies to disqualify families due to their sexual orientation. The bill later passed. "I try to encourage people on my posts. I try to support people," McNally told reporters, The Tennessean reported. "I have friends that are gay, I have friends with relatives who are gay. I don't feel any animosity towards gay people. I think that's fairly clear." Tennessee Becomes First State to Pass Legislation Restricting Drag Shows Still, opponents of the recent measures in Tennessee aimed at the LGBTQ+ community say McNally's positive Instagram comments are hypocritical, especially considering the governor's support of the bills. The governor himself — Republican Bill Lee — has also been accused of hypocrisy, as just days before he signed a controversial anti-drag bill into law, a photo of him wearing a dress in high school was surfaced by outlets including Nashville Public Radio. While LGBTQ+ advocates have said the photo demonstrates Lee's hypocrisy, his office has instead said it was simply evidence of "lighthearted school traditions." Lee signed the drag bill on the same day he signed a bill banning gender-affirming health care for transgender youths in the state. And on Monday, the Tennessee House passed another bill targeting drag, this one requiring drag performers to obtain a permit before performing. According to LGBTQ+ advocacy organization Human Rights Commission, the state has enacted 14 anti-LGBTQ+ laws since 2015. Among those are two bathroom bans and three laws preventing transgender students from playing sports consistent with their gender identity. 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