The man defending porn in children's spaces before the Senate

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias,

Outlined below are some concerns related to some of the witnesses at the hearing “Book Bans: Examining How Censorship Limits Liberty and Literature” in the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on Tuesday, September 12th, 2023.

ILLINOIS SECRETARY OF STATE ALEXI GIANNOULIAS

ATTENDED A DEMOCRATIC PARTY DRAG QUEEN SHOW

Giannoulias has cast himself as decidedly pro-drag queen story hours in libraries. According to Patch.com, Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias attended an event named "Drag 'Em To The Polls” at a prominent Chicago Drag Club called Baton Show Lounge with Governor Pritzker last year right before the 2022 mid-term election. Giannoulias posted photos of himself attending the event on Facebook.

OPPOSES PUBLIC FUNDING FOR RELIGIOUS AFFILIATED LIBRARIES

During an interview with NPR on May 4, 2023, Alexi Giannoulias attacked Congressman Clay Higgins for wanting to provide more funding for libraries that are affiliated with religious institutions, a possible violation of the First Amendment. When asked about public funding for church affiliated public libraries, Giannoulias instead said, “I will tell you - I am not supposed to swear on NPR, but that's some of the scariest [expletive] I've ever heard”. Giannoulias also threatened to defund those libraries that push for book bans.