Well, that's kind of gay.

[rosiedoes]

Lesbos islanders dispute gay name
By Malcolm Brabant
BBC News, Athens

Campaigners on the Greek island of Lesbos are to go to court in an attempt to stop a gay rights organisation from using the term "lesbian".

The islanders say that if they are successful they may then start to fight the word lesbian internationally.

The issue boils down to who has the right to call themselves Lesbians.

Is it gay women, or the 100,000 people living on Greece's third biggest island - plus another 250,000 expatriates who originate from Lesbos?

The man spearheading the case, publisher Dimitris Lambrou, claims that international dominance of the word in its sexual context violates the human rights of the islanders, and disgraces them around the world.

He says it causes daily problems to the social life of Lesbos's inhabitants.

Injunction sought

In court papers, the plaintiffs allege that the Greek government is so embarrassed by the term Lesbian that it has been forced to rename the island after its capital, Mytilini.
map of Lesbos

An early court date has now been set for judges to decide whether to grant an injunction against the Homosexual and Lesbian Community of Greece and to order it to change its name.

A spokeswoman for the group has described the case as a groundless violation of freedom of expression, and has pledged to fight it.

The term lesbian originated from a mythological goddess and poet called Sappho, who was a native of Lesbos.

Sappho expressed her love of other women in poetry written during the 7th Century BC.

But according to Mr Lambrou, new historical research has discovered that Sappho had a family, and committed suicide for the love of a man.


[source]


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Personally, I hate the word 'lesbian' - the way it sounds and the way it looks. I'd rather have a different one, please.

Comments

[anjak-j.livejournal.com]

I hope the island wins. I hate that word with a passion. I don't think I have ever referred to my sexual relations with women as 'lesbian' relationships. Mainly because I associate that word with a level of feminism that burns bras and rampantly hates men.

I guess I don't see the need for two terms for homosexuality that make a point out of gender. Straight people are straight regardless of gender, so why gay people have to have two terms... *shakes head*

[moondarri.livejournal.com]

i've never really thought about it, but since i continually use the terms gay or queer to describe my sexuality rather than lesbian shows that i probably don't like using it as a word for whatever reason.

an interesting, & kind of funny issue. i wonder who'll win & what difference it'll make.

[missfrost.livejournal.com]

I ALWAYS prefer and use the term gay woman anyway, so I'm really not sure how to deal with this story!