Tennessee’s 79-year-old Lt. Gov. Randy McNally (R) has publicly apologized for leaving hearts and flame emojis on the thirsty Instagram pics of a gay 20-year-old twink named Franklyn McClur.
McNally and his press spokesperson are now trying to explain McNally’s online behavior by casting him as an elderly grandpa who just doesn’t understand how to use the newfangled high-tech innernets. They’re also trying to claim that McNally isn’t really anti-gay, despite his numerous anti-LGBTQ+ political positions.
This would be hilarious if it wasn’t a bald-faced attempt to hide his hypocrisy.
“I apologize for any embarrassment my postings have caused my family, friends, and colleagues,” McNally, a married father of two adult children, said in a statement issued Monday. “For this reason, I will be pausing my social media activity in order to reflect and receive more guidance on the use of social media.”
How about we take this to the next level?
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McNally’s statement is a complete reversal of his initial statement that he had “no intention of stopping” his public adoration of McClur’s mostly nude images.
“While I have made some mistakes in my use of social media,” his statement continued, “the characterization of me and my record as somehow ‘anti-gay’ is inaccurate.”
Oh boy! Here we go…
He goes on to say that he was “raised in a time when homosexuality was deeply shameful” and that he now has “friends and even a relative who is gay.” Let’s be clear about two things though: First, he was raised in a time when others viewed homosexuality as shameful. Second, you can have gay friends and still be homophobic.
He then says he still holds “traditional Tennessee values dear” — like supporting “traditional marriage” for not-gay people. He also says he has tried to better understand the gay community while not compromising his desire to “protect children.”
Excuse us… What?!
What does better understanding our community have to do with protecting children? Oh, that’s right… it’s a dog whistle implying that queer people are a threat to children.
“Conservative and anti-gay are not synonymous,” he continued, even though his political party’s national platform includes denying civil rights to same-sex couples, promoting conversion therapy, and allowing businesses to discriminate against gay and queer people.
Seriously, where do we start?
McNally’s comment that he needs “more guidance” on social media is somewhat similar to his office’s statement last week scolding left-wing media for implying something sinister about a “great-grandfather’s use of social media.”
But let’s be clear: McNally is not some lovable ol’ pappy who doesn’t know how to “Instagram a TikTok.” He is a Republican political leader who has supported a lot of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, all while publicly adoring pics of McClur’s shaved crotch and barely covered buttcheeks.
Even Saturday Night Live recently mocked McNally claims that he’s just bad at social media.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with adoring a nice manscape or some jiggly hotcakes. And sure, he once opposed a bill that would allow adoption and child placement agencies to discriminate against same-sex couples.
But he also supported legislation banning any discussion of all LGBTQ+ identities in schools and a bill banning drag shows with legislation that would target gay-inclusive businesses for shutdown and make lots of LGBTQ+ performers and allies subject to lawsuits.
He also supports banning trans kids from accessing gender-affirming medical care, has voted to ban transgender kids from playing school sports, and supports lawsuits against anyone who allows trans people to use bathrooms that match their gender identity.
And why does he support all this? As he implied, he sees queers as a threat to children. This is especially weird seeing as he started following McClur’s Instagram account when the young man was just 17 years old, not even old enough to vote.
The truth is, McNally and his Republican cohorts are the true threat to children. Not because McNally finds young guys hot, but because he and his colleagues oppose same-sex parents’ right to marry and support anti-trans policies that literally increase the likelihood of trans children committing suicide.
So take all the time you need off of social media, Lt. Gov. McNally. Your political actions speak much more loudly than your heart and flame emojis ever could.
LumpyPillows
He seems like he is having a mental breakdown. Happens to closeted gay men.
BigWill
That is Tennessee’s lieutenant governor, not Kentucky’s (who is a Democrat, btw).
Al
Thank you! As a Kentuckian, it’s embarrassing enough to have Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul. Don’t give us McNally, too!
BigWill
(and a woman)
JJinAus
I’m not as old as him, I don’t find myself lusting after women. Hmm.
FreddieW
I know you think all Southerners are rubes, but we aren’t all from Kentucky. He’s Tennessee’s lieutenant governor, and as a Tennessean, I’m delighted to see the old fool in the news.
FreddieW
Wouldn’t you rather talk about Randy McNally than Kim Davis or Mitch McConnell or Rand Paul, who actually are from Kentucky?
FreddieW
Of course, Tennessee also has Marsha Blackburn, if gorgons is your preferred topic.
bradford44444
That’s enough queerty. I’m done. This is not the first time you have said this stooge
Is from Kentucky. It’s not even the first topic for which you’ve mistaken one state for the other. You can’t get the news right. You can’t write a coherent article. And you seem to delight in being as simplistic and superficial as possible. I have been reading this blog daily for years, probably as long as you have been around. But no more. You are insipid and vapid. I’m out and leaving this useless site to those who don’t know any better. Try harder, Queerty.
abfab
Bye. This is a gossip column. And please, tell us who actually gets the news right these days……
Kangol2
ChatGPT might actually have gotten this more correct than Queerty, but you didn’t hear that from me.
RandomNRG
Only mention of Kentucky I see is the autogenerated hashtags, so was there a correction recently made to this article?
bradford44444
Abfab, sweetie darling. You are part of the problem. Take your gossip and obfuscate somewhere else.
abfab
So tell us, you have a different definition of DONE?
Ronbo
But we sooo adore Abfab’s inability to be accurate and his wallowing in misinformation and extreme judgmentalism. It’s
kittencat stuck in a paper bag cute.Kangol2
Miss DL GOP Queen Randy McNally gurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrl…NO.
gothvixen
IF he’s a doddery old great grandfather who doen’t undertand t’interweb, then he’s mentally incompetent to be Lt. Governor. He can’t have his Twinkie and eat it.
Kangol2
Oh, he wanted to eat that Twinkie and more, I’m sure!
Fname Optional Lname
Notice how he said he “tries to understand the gay community without compromising the safety of children” . Well that right there tells you exactly who he is. The ignorance and blatant lies! What a closet queen – and the worst kind. This is coming from the man who flooded his basement when he saw that picture of the twink in his undies! Welcome back to the 1950’s. It makes no sense that the attacks our community experienced pre-Stonewall would even get an ounce of thought in today’s world but here we are
Consider This
Hypocrisy defined. Simple.