Giannoulias pushes petition to repeal 'don't ask, don't tell'

Democratic Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias is launching a petition drive to repeal the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays.

Giannoulias unveiled it Monday during an event at a gay community center on Chicago's North Side that only members of the gay press were invited to cover. Other elected officials were there, including state Rep. Deborah Mell, who recently announced she is engaged to her girlfriend.

The petition calls for immediate repeal of the policy.

Giannoulias' Republican opponent, U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, has said he supports the current policy. Kirk is a Naval Reserve officer.

The policy allows gays and lesbians to be kicked out of the military because of their sexual orientation but military leaders aren't supposed to go looking for gay troops.