Lt. Gov. Randy McNally (R), the Tennessee politician who this year led the state senate on its quest to severely restrict drag performances and ban gender-affirming care for minors, said on Monday that he would be taking a break from lurking on social media after he was caught obsessively interacting with a thirst-trap Instagram account run by a 20-year-old gay man. In a statement, McNally insisted that his intent when commenting things like “way to go Finn!!! you light up the world!!!” and “you can turn a rainy day into rainbows and sunshine” on the youth’s racy photos was nothing but “engagement and encouragement.” He continued: “I apologize for any embarrassment my postings have caused my family, friends and colleagues. 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.” McNally also pushed back on perceptions of him as an “anti-gay” lawmaker, insisting that he now has “friends and even a relative who is gay.” He then went on to recount his track record, including his support for “legislation that would protect children” and “traditional marriage,” then bafflingly concluded, “There is no contradiction here.”
