Repeal DADT, Now With Statistical Proof!

If the president isn't swayed by entreaties to such notions as equal protection under the law, or to "separate is not equal" lines of thinking, maybe his interest would be piqued by this (via Andrew Sullivan):

Gay and lesbian study participants who were asked to conceal their sexual orientation performed 20% worse on spatial reasoning tests and 50% worse on physical endurance tests as compared to those who were not given this instruction. The findings have clear implications for the battlefield. Gays and lesbians — even those who follow the policy — are prevented from performing optimally, which may affect the readiness of military units.

This is kind of obvious. If you have to expend energy or concentration concealing who you are (no easy feat), there is less energy/concentration available to you to do your job (or whatever). When it comes to fighting wars, you would think the military would want to remove as many mental barriers as possible.