People Of Lesbos Battle Lesbians
People of Lesbos take gay group to court over term ‘Lesbian’
ATHENS, Greece (AP) - A Greek court has been asked to draw the line between the natives of the Aegean Sea island of Lesbos and the world’s gay women.
Three islanders from Lesbos—home of the ancient poet Sappho, who praised love between women—have taken a gay rights group to court for using the word lesbian in its name.
One of the plaintiffs said Wednesday that the name of the association, Homosexual and Lesbian Community of Greece, “insults the identity” of the people of Lesbos, who are also known as Lesbians.
“My sister can’t say she is a Lesbian,” said Dimitris Lambrou. “Our geographical designation has been usurped by certain ladies who have no connection whatsoever with Lesbos,” he said.
The three plaintiffs are seeking to have the group barred from using “lesbian” in its name and filed a lawsuit on April 10. The other two plaintiffs are women.
Also called Mytilene, after its capital, Lesbos is famed as the birthplace of Sappho. The island is a favored holiday destination for gay women, particularly the lyric poet’s reputed home town of Eressos.
“This is not an aggressive act against gay women,” Lambrou said. “Let them visit Lesbos and get married and whatever they like. We just want (the group) to remove the word lesbian from their title.”
He said the plaintiffs targeted the group because it is the only officially registered gay group in Greece to use the word lesbian in its name. The case will be heard in an Athens court on June 10.
Sappho lived from the late 7th to the early 6th century B.C. and is considered one of the greatest poets of antiquity. Many of her poems, written in the first person and intended to be accompanied by music, contain passionate references to love for other women.
Lambrou said the word lesbian has only been linked with gay women in the past few decades. “But we have been Lesbians for thousands of years,” said Lambrou, who publishes a small magazine on ancient Greek religion and technology that frequently criticizes the Christian Church.
Very little is known of Sappho’s life. According to some ancient accounts, she was an aristocrat who married a rich merchant and had a daughter with him. One tradition says that she killed herself by jumping off a cliff over an unhappy love affair.
Lambrou says Sappho was not gay. “But even if we assume she was, how can 250,000 people of Lesbian descent—including women—be considered homosexual?”
The Homosexual and Lesbian Community of Greece could not be reached for comment.
Lesbos Harbor
Be respectful of others and their opinions. Inflammatory remarks and inane leftist drivel will be deleted. It ain’t about free speech, remember you’re in a private domain. My website, my prerogative.
If you can't handle using your real email address, don't bother posting a comment.
The chicks are coming home to roost …???
April 30th, 2008 at 6:48 am
Oh my goodness!
April 30th, 2008 at 6:51 amWow i want to move there! ladies, who needs me to rub suntan oil on them first?
i have 2 hands so get in line haha
April 30th, 2008 at 6:56 amThis isn’t crazy…THIS IS LESBOS!!!
April 30th, 2008 at 7:12 amThose ladies are real purdy.
April 30th, 2008 at 7:44 amif you want to real live lesbians out in the light of day, forget about the greek isles, go to Palm Beach in early April for the Dinah Shore Golf Tourney
http://www.thedinah.com/dinahshore/2007/Friday-DoralPool/Friday-DoralPool.html
April 30th, 2008 at 7:53 amNice to know they all don’t look like Rosie …
Cripes! I can’t believe I went there …
Yeah, thanks for sharing, Steve-O
April 30th, 2008 at 8:11 am
what’s in a name? 
April 30th, 2008 at 8:41 amdrillanwr - with that comment; teeing one up for me? I am just gonna walk away.
(or is it click away online?)
April 30th, 2008 at 8:41 amI think I know where I’m living if Obama’s elected.
April 30th, 2008 at 10:15 amMan, if only they all looked like that! Looking at that pic reminded me of the fact that I am a lesbian trapped in a man’s body…
April 30th, 2008 at 10:26 amWhats Hillary going to do now?!?
April 30th, 2008 at 10:31 amLet them be called “tongue and groove” broads.
April 30th, 2008 at 2:52 pmWhat a freaking waste!!!!!
April 30th, 2008 at 4:35 pmTo show solidarity with the people of lesbos regarding their lawsuit I will from now until the end of the trial refer to myself as a Lesbian. The least i can do in the cause for humanity.
April 30th, 2008 at 10:28 pm“Cover me in honey and throw me to the Lesbos”. Can’t use that one liner any more, doh!
May 1st, 2008 at 1:05 amI’d switch places with one of those two in a NY minute. Or less.
May 1st, 2008 at 5:14 pm