Discounted Washington Mystics Tickets
 Save up to 30% on tickets, help support Les Connections, and support charities too. Click on the Mystics logo to learn more.(We donate 25% of our profits to charity). |
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"Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
Time for this flawed law to go!
 Yes, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is law, and as such, is the only law in the US that actually mandates an employer to fire someone for being gay. As part of the Military Advisory Council for SLDN, I was very fortunate to be included this past week, in a meeting with Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher to discuss strategies for repealing this law. The Congresswoman was extremely optimistic about our chances of repealing the law, especially if Senator Obama is elected President in the Fall. She told us she met with the Joint Chiefs and told them: "this is going to happen, you better get ready". She said she didn't see any reluctance or push back from them, they just seemed interested in the implementation process. Congresswoman Tauscher also said "the optics of how all this looks" would be critical to its success and that repeal of the law ideally needs to be a win-win-win for all involved.
All of us from SLDN left the meeting with a very positive feeling about where we are headed on this issue, and extremely fortunate to have people like Congresswoman Tauscher leading the effort.
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| What's Your Exit Strategy?
Start With the End in Mind
At Les Connections, our mission is to "positively promote the lesbian community, et al., both internally and externally, to enhance pride, acceptance and quality of life". One of the ways we do that is to promote lesbian business owners and service providers. Although some of us need to stay "under the wire" (military for example), there are plenty of examples of out and proud, successful lesbians who are making a real difference and setting a great example for our community. One of these women is Janice Buxbaum. 
Janice is President and CEO of Enterprise Engineering Inc., a technical services company headquartered in Kingstowne, Virginia. Of course, Janice would be the first one to downplay her success and give all the credit to others. Truth is though; she is a savvy business woman with great instincts. Although it hasn't always been easy, a little luck, a whole lot of perseverance and an undying belief in what was possible have enabled her to build her company into a success.
Janice didn't set out to establish her own company, but decided that was the best way to achieve her vision of a company built on the unwavering principals of "quality, honesty and integrity". She started by working out of her home and soon was awarded a small purchase order to provide training to a government customer on how to administer performance based contracts. That enabled her to get up and running, and very soon afterwards she was awarded a multi-million dollar effort to provide technical support to the Navy.
Janice attributes most of her success to the EEI team and being lucky and savvy enough to recognize opportunity when it knocks. As I mentioned before, her biggest credits go to her employees and she says she has a real passion for providing an environment where people can grow, contribute and feel proud of what they are doing. It's obvious she puts her people first, and that's what led me to the title of this article. When I asked Janice what advice she would give to someone just starting out to establish her own company, she said: [watch the video]. Basically, that you should know at the beginning where you want your company to go and what you intend to do with it when you decide to retire. Janice of course already has that figured out; she wants EEI to be employee owned. It's because of this exit strategy, that Janice feels a great responsibility to be a good steward of company resources. She is continually pushing for improved efficiency and believes it is important for any company to compete from the very beginning; never resting on laurels.
In addition to taking care of her people, Janice believes focus is critical. She said "there is a danger of forgetting what you're about" and that "companies, especially small companies, have to know their limitations". One of the hardest things she learned to do in running her company was "learning to say no". She quickly followed this up though with the advice to "never say never". Janice is now moving her company in directions she had never envisioned at the beginning, but knows that the time is right and the changes are good. Again, recognizing opportunity when it knocks is a key to success.
Janice is proud of what she and her employees have created at EEI. She believes they are making a difference and producing something of value. With Janice at the helm, and a little luck along the way, this really is just the beginning. Her customers and employees are the ultimate beneficiaries of the EEI vision and direction.
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Ladies Night at Top Golf
June 19, 2008 from 7-9pm
Kingstowne, VA
Best fun you'll have on a driving range with ladies, lobs, libations, and maybe just a little laughing. Click below for more details.
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K.D. Lang
October 30, 2008
The Strathmore
Baltimore, MD
buy tickets here!
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Reach Thousands of Lesbians
to ask how
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Surfing Solutions
Websites of the Week
Like FREE stuff?
College lectures: Apple
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New Business Postings
Welcome the Latest Lesbian-Owned Businesses to Join Us
Roni Horstein, Professional Astrologer and Tarot Reader
Judi Havill, On Site Productions - Meeting and Event Planning
Jane Whitaker, Clinical Social Work/Therapist
Dr. Vittorio Repetto, Doctor of Chiropractic/Applied Kinesiologist
We are now up to 39 businesses, you can check them out at
Les Connections, on the Services and Products pages. Encourage you to "keep it in the community" and use these businesses. Would also love to promote more lesbian-owned businesses, so please refer your friends our way.
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Check Out These Movies!
June 26, 2008
BUTCH JAMIE - Directed By Michelle Ehlen
A fantastic dyke comedy...in the tradition of The Player, Director Michelle
Ehlen spins a spot-on satire of the movie industry, while examining butch/
femme dynamics and the politics of lesbian relationships. It's hysterical.
(Jason A. Heidemann, Time Out Chicago)
KISS THE BRIDE
Directed by C Jay Cox
 The new film from Latter Days director C Jay Cox is a snappy comedy with plenty of eye-candy and some great supporting performances, especially from Joanna Cassidy (Six Feet Under) as Alex's constantly drunk mother who tries to hit on Matt. (PT)
In Los Angeles, CA
US Premier - July 19, 2008
The World Unseen
Set in 1950s South Africa, THE WORLD UNSEEN is a gorgeous depiction of love in the face of oppression. Free-spirited, sexy Amina has broken all the rules of her own conventional Indian community - and the new apartheid government - by running a café with Jacob, her mixed-race business partner. When she meets the breathtakingly beautiful Miriam, their unexpected attraction pushes Miriam to question the rules that bind her, setting in motion a chain of events that changes both women forever.
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Promo Les Connections with Pride
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