Graham consistently denied being gay until the end of his life. When comedian Chelsea Handler made insinuations about his sexuality online in 2018, the Senator responded to the allegations, saying, “To the extent that it matters, I’m not gay.”

However, while Rose’s recent post following Graham’s death is one of the most direct instances of a queer person alleging that Graham had hired them for sex work, it isn’t the first. In 2020, porn performer Sean Harding posted online, implying that an unnamed Republican senator had hired multiple gay sex workers, including him. People connected the story to Graham based on the nickname “Lady G,” a codename sex workers in D.C. allegedly used to refer to the South Carolina legislator. The nickname followed Graham for what would turn out to be the final years of his life.

As recently as 2025, right-wing influencer and Trump ally Laura Loomer said that Graham was gay while testifying under oath for a deposition. “Several of President Trump’s staff have told me in confidence that Lindsey Graham is gay,” Loomer said during the deposition, which she later defended online, saying she did not want to perjure herself.