President Obama mandated Thursday that hospitals extend visitation rights to the partners of gay men and lesbians and allow same-sex couples to share medical power of attorney, perhaps the most significant step so far in his efforts to expand the rights of gay Americans.

The president directed the Department of Health and Human Services to prohibit discrimination in hospital visitation in a memo that was e-mailed to reporters Thursday night while he was at a fundraiser in Miami.

Administration officials and gay activists, who have been quietly working together on the issue, said the new rule, once in place, will affect any hospital that receives Medicare or Medicaid funding, a move that covers the vast majority of the nation’s health-care institutions.

It is currently common policy in many hospitals that only those related by blood or marriage be allowed to visit patients or have power of attorney, which allows them to make medical decisions on behalf of a seriously ill or injured patient. Obama’s order will start a rule-making process at HHS that could take several months, officials said.

Woohoo! Continue reading this great news over at the Washington Post, and congratulations to all of our gay friends! It’s not the whole ball of wax, yet, but it’s definitely a beginning!