Outed on Grindr : Republican lawmaker from North Dakota , Randy Boehning , has an over 10-year history of voting against gay rights . On Monday , he was outed for using gay hook-up app Grindr . A Republican lawmaker in North Dakota with a long record of opposition to pro-gay rights laws was revealed this week to be an active user of gay hook-up app Grindr and claims he was outed as part of a smear campaign by a rival . Randy Boehning , a 52-year-old who 's represented Fargo since 2002 , sent messages and a photo of his penis to a 21-year-old gay man in Bismark named Dustin Smith . Smith recognized the staunch conservative and took his story , and explicit photo , to the press . But , while admitting he 's gay and uses Grindr , the public official claimed his private life was revealed as part of a fellow lawmaker 's retaliation for his vote against a bill that would afford protections to gays . Smith told Forum on Monday that he first recognized Boehning , who he knew by the Grindr handle Top Man ! , while reading an April 2 article that pictured all the state 's House of Representatives members who voted down an anti-discrimination bill . 'Suddenly it dawned on me : I think I 've seen this guy on Grindr ! ' Smith told the Washington Post on Wednesday . Using the 'an all-male location-based social network ' on his phone , Smith retrieved the conversation in question in which Boehning , without solicitation , sent a photo of his penis along with one of his face . ' I just felt like this story had to get out , ' Smith said . ' [ He ] voted against a bill for the LGBT community and here he was talking to me on Grindr . ' Forum ran their story on Monday , in which Boehning both came out and accused an employee at his workplace for exposing him after he exposed himself . 'That 's what gay guys do on gay sites , do n't they ? ' Boehning told Forum . 'That 's how things happen on Grindr . It 's a gay chat site . It 's not the first thing you do on that site . That 's what we do , exchange pics on the site . ' Top Man ! Dustin Smith , a 21-year-old gay man who lives in Bismarck , recognized Boehning as Grindr user Top Man ! and took his story to the local press . Boehning went on to claim that , prior to his April 2 vote against the anti-discrimination bill , a capitol employee warned him that a fellow lawmaker who supported the bill vowed Boehning would become a target for retaliation should he vote no . However , Boehning has thus far refused to name that lawmaker . Meanwhile , the only openly gay lawmaker in the state 's legislature , Rep. Josh Boschee of Fargo , said he never spoke to Boehning about the vote . Boschee claims he 's been told of a Republican staffer who 's been in contact with Boehning via Grindr since he was last elected and who warned Boehning 'there could be consequences for the hypocrisy of [ his ] vote . ' Boschee also declined to name any names . As for his coming out , Boehning , who says he 's also attracted to women , seemed somewhat relieved . 'The 1,000-pound gorilla has been lifted , ' he said . ' I have to confront it at some point . ' Blackmailed ? Boehning claims he was blackmailed by a Capitol employee just before his most recent vote against a gay rights bill . Weeks later , he was outed .
Dustin Smith , a 21-year-old gay man in Bismarck , received messages and explicit photos from user going by Top Man ! on Grindr . Smith realized that user was staunch state conservative Randy Boehning after reading of the lawmaker 's vote against a gay rights bill this month . Smith went to the press and Boehning soon admitted he uses the gay app -- but the 52-year-old says its part of a rival 's smear campaign .