Here's ONE Reason He's So Hot

Alexi Giannoulias on Equality:

Alex Giannoulias: Hottie McHot Gets Hotter

Once again Alexi Giannoulias stands up for the LGBT community. And looks good while he does it.

As Illinois state treasurer, and US Senate candidate, Alexi Giannoulias signed an executive order giving gay and lesbian employees of the Illinois Treasurer's office with domestic partners the same benefits as married employees.

Equality looks good.

Gay and lesbian partners will now receive the same family and medical leave benefits, be able to take time off to have or adopt children and take bereavement time on par with married workers; this is in addition to health care benefits that same-sex partners already received.

This new executive order marks the first constitutional Illinois state office or state agency to adopt such a policy and one of only nine states and the District of Columbia to implement leave-related benefits for domestic partners; he hopes, and, of course, I hope, other state offices, in Illinois and elsewhere, will take the same action.

"Today we're looking to lead the way....Hard working men and women devoted to their families should not have to choose between their family and keeping their job. The bottom line is that we should not deny same sex domestic couples the same rights that are available to married couples."

And it wasn't politics that made Giannoulias sign the order, it was simple equality. Cleo Downing, a marketing representative for the Treasurer's Office, said that when her mother-in-law passed away in Newark eight months ago, she was able to fly home for the funeral, but had to return the next day: "I left my wife in Newark because I had to get back to work. I didn't have a lot of off time."

To make matters worse, a month later her wife became ill and she wasn't able to take a medical leave to care for her; she worked every day and then went to the hospital because she wasn't entitled to family leave.

For Alexi Giannoulias, it was stories like Cleo Downing's that caused him to sign the order. "Stories like Cleo's, hearing from employees, we just thought it was something that needs to get done. This is the right thing to do. It's not about politics at all."

Huh. The right thing to do.

That sounds nice. And hot.

I Think I Love You!

In the interests of fairness, let me first say, that I think Alexi Giannoulias is hot.

And then, it turns out he's smart, he open and accepting, and he's gay friendly.

Illinois Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias favors legalization of same-sex marriage and, if elected, would seek to repeal a federal law that defines marriage as being between one man and one woman.

I didn't hear him mince any words. Plain spoken. To the point. And, yes, still hot.

Giannoulias also believes individual states should be able to decide for themselves whether they allow same-sex couples to marry, but that all states should be required to afford legal recognition to same-sex marriages performed in states where they are sanctioned. He would require the federal government to recognize same-sex marriages, now prohibited by the Defense of Marriage Act, something he wants repealed. He says this would have the effect, in part, of allowing gay and lesbian couples to file joint federal income tax returns and receive Social Security survivor benefits.

To top it off, he wants to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell".

"This goes to what this country was founded on -- equality and fairness," said Giannoulias, emphasizing that he sees same-sex marriage as a constitutional and legal issue in the context of past civil rights struggles.

I say, Go on with your hot, bad self Alexi!

And gay activists in Illinois believe that Giannoulias, currently the state treasurer, is the first major candidate in a statewide race to stake out a position in favor of gay marriage.

Alexi Giannoulias: "This is what I believe in, and I'm sure not everyone is going to agree with me....I'd like to think the public is more accepting of gay and lesbian couples in committed relationships. It could be risky, but it's what I believe....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. They're equal rights."

Giannoulias also believes people will look back on the marriage equality debate 10 or 15 years from now and "be amazed we didn't do this sooner."

In an Alexi Giannoulias world, and wouldn't it be a hot hot world.....okay, I'll stop.....a same-sex couple from Illinois who get married in Iowa, where gay marriage became legal earlier this year, would have the same rights here as a married heterosexual couple. Those rights like: inheritance rights, hospital visitation rights, equal pension and health care benefits and all other legal protections granted married couples.

"I don't think we're asking for special rights," Giannoulias said. "They're equal rights."

Alexi Giannoulias, I think I love you.