Current Illinois treasurer and U.S. Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias has released a statement outlining his platform regarding the rights of LGBT Americans. The platform is as follows:
"Everyone is part of the American family, regardless of sexual orientation, and must be treated equally under the law. All Americans should enjoy the same freedoms and share the same responsibilities. As a U.S. Senator, I will do everything I can to protect those rights." — Alexi Giannoulias
Marriage equality
While marriage as a religious institution should be governed by people's faith and the tenets of their religion, marriage as a civil institution should be governed by principles of fairness. Civil marriage should be equal for all people and provide the same protections under the law, with all legal rights and responsibilities. No American in a committed, long-term relationship should be denied inheritance rights, hospital visitation rights, equal pension and health care benefits, and all of the other legal protections government grants married couples. Alexi supports the right of individual states to give same-sex couples the right to marry, and would work to ensure that the federal government recognizes these marriages by supporting the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act.
Read more story below....
"Don't ask, don't tell"
Brave men and women who are willing to fight and die for our country should be asked only one question: can they do the job? That is why Alexi supports the repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
Hate crimes
Hate crimes target individuals, but inflict pain on entire communities. All people are entitled to live in dignity without fear of violence. Alexi would work to pass the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention/Matthew Shepard Act, which increases the federal government's power to investigate and prosecute bias-motivated violence and expands the law to include crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.
Promote employment non-discrimination and tax equity
Workers should be evaluated on their ability to do a job, not on their identities. Alexi supports efforts, modeled after existing civil rights and disabilities legislation, to prohibit workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. As State Treasurer, he ended years of a misguided policy in his office by extending health coverage to domestic partners. As a U.S. Senator, he would also work to end the double taxation of couples.
Read what Alexi Giannoulias has to say about his LGBT platform next week in Windy City Times.
