Tennessee Senate Speaker Randy McNally says his voting record is not anti-LGBTQ, following national backlash

Tennessee Senate Speaker Randy McNally says he’ll be taking a pause from social media, after drawing national attention for his comments on a young gay man’s provocative photos. The fire and heart emojis McNally left on Franklyn McClure’s Instagram became the subject of ridicule on Saturday Night Live over the weekend. 

Lt. Gov. Randy McNally stops by the Update desk pic.twitter.com/a4UC00EjfH

— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) March 12, 2023

In a statement, McNally says there is no contradiction between his support of traditional marriage and his comments on social media. The Republican lawmaker says he is not “anti-gay,” citing his friends and “even a relative” who are gay. McNally says he opposed a bill that would have limited adoption for gay couples.

This legislative session, McNally abstained from voting on both of the state’s most-recent laws curtailing the rights of LGBTQ Tennesseans. But last year, he voted in support of a law that prohibits trans kids from playing on the school sports team that aligns with their gender, and a law that prevents teachers from discussing race or LGBTQ issues in the classroom.