U.S. Sen Chris Coons is a lawyer, a religious scholar and a leading expert on foreign policy.

But is he also a Brony, the nickname given to male fans of the My Little Pony franchise?

Delaware's 54-year-old junior senator on Wednesday sent out a tweet about his pride in co-sponsoring the "#MLP Parity Act."

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Clicking on that hashtag leads to a treasure trove of tweets, most featuring Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Derpy Hooves and dozens of other characters from the cartoon and toy line most commonly associated with girls younger than 12.

The fan-boy love would make sense. "My Little Pony: The Movie" did hit screens earlier this month.

But alas, Coons is not one of the herd.

"I'm not sure about My Little Pony, but I can tell you for sure that Sen. Coons is a fan of, and more of an expert on, master limited partnerships," spokesman Brian Cunningham said.

It seems Coons use of the #MLP hashtag was intended to raise awareness of a bill he co-sponsored called the Master Limited Partnership Parity Act, which is basically the opposite of the vibrant fun My Little Ponies are known for.

A master limited partnership is a business structure in which investors are treated as partners for tax purposes but whose ownership stake can be traded like stocks. The partnerships reduce investors tax exposure and cut the cost of raising private capital.

Currently, a master limited partnership is available mostly to oil and gas companies. Coons' bill would extend that option to renewable energy companies and energy-efficient buildings, allowing those businesses to tap additional investment.

The bipartisan legislation has been praised by numerous groups, including the Union of Concerned Scientists, the American Council on Renewable Energy and the Clean Air Task Force.

Rainbow Dash and Sunset Shimmer could not be reached for comment.

Contact reporter Scott Goss at (302) 324-2281, sgoss@delawareonline.com or on Twitter @ScottGossDel.