After President Obama pledged to end Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) in tonight’s State of the Union address, Senator John McCain issued his own statement calling the commitment to repeal the policy a mistake.

“In his State of the Union address, President Obama asked Congress to repeal the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy.  I am immensely proud of, and thankful for, every American who wears the uniform of our country, especially at a time of war, and I believe it would be a mistake to repeal the policy.

“This successful policy has been in effect for over fifteen years, and it is well understood and predominantly supported by our military at all levels.  We have the best trained, best equipped, and most professional force in the history of our country, and the men and women in uniform are performing heroically in two wars.  At a time when our Armed Forces are fighting and sacrificing on the battlefield, now is not the time to abandon the policy.”

Senator, if our military is indeed the most “professional force in the history of our country,” don’t you think they can handle serving along side out gay and lesbian soldiers? It should be a non-issue. Or are you simply allowing your homophobia to put our armed forces and the security of this nation at risk?

California representative Jackie Speier (D-San Mateo) went toe to toe with Stephen Colbert last night in his “Better Know a District” segment where she defended the rights of gays and lesbians to marry, and then enjoyed a bit of skateboarding at the end. Rep. Speier is a staunch advocate for gay rights, supporting UAFA, ENDA and the repeal of DOMA and DADT. While some may wonder whether Rep. Speier was in on the “joke,” I suspect she was simply playing it straight. I’m so glad to have someone like her representing our district. Enjoy.

Now it’s official, statistically speaking anyway. Washington state’s Referendum 71, a domestic partnership bill which provides “Everything but Marriage” was passed by the voters 52 percent to 48 percent.

Sen. Ed Murray, a Seattle Democrat who spearheaded the law, called it “a great step forward for equality in Washington state.”

“I’m relieved,” he said. “I was very concerned that if the voters had said no, it would have been a major setback for gay and lesbian families in Washington state.”

The measure asked voters to approve or reject the latest expansion of the state’s domestic partnership law, granting registered domestic partners additional state rights previously given only to married couples.

Full-fledged gay marriage is still not allowed under Washington law.

Gary Randall of Protect Marriage Washington, which opposed the law and pushed to get the referendum on the ballot, said they weren’t ready to concede.

“We’re just going to wait and watch it play out,” he said.

It’s good to see at least one state not buy into the hate and fear. Congrats to Washington Families Standing Together and everyone else who fought to get Ref. 71 passed.

Only two days after signing the Matthew Shepard hate crimes bill into law, President Obama today signed an extension to the Ryan White Act which provides assistance and support to nearly half a million people suffering from HIV/AIDS.

“If we want to be a global leader in combatting HIV/AIDS, we need to act like it,” Obama said at the White House before signing a bill to extend the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program. Begun in 1990, the program provides medical care, medication and support services to about half a million people, most of them low-income.

The bill is named for an Indiana teenager who contracted AIDS through a blood transfusion at age 13. White went on to fight AIDS-related discrimination against him and others like him and help educate the country about the disease. He died in April 1990 at the age of 18.

His mother, Jeanne White-Ginder, attended the signing ceremony, as did several members of Congress and HIV/AIDS activists.

Obama also said he will be finalizing an order on Monday that will lift the HIV immigration and travel ban that has been in place for 20 years.

Video of the ceremony below…

My friends… it was a very good week. First hate crimes and now this. It gives one hope for the future. Let’s hope the vote in Maine doesn’t erase all that.