People of Lesbos take gay group to court over term 'Lesbian'

[LynneSin]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080430/ap_on_re_eu/greece_lesbian_pride_1

People of Lesbos take gay group to court over term 'Lesbian' By NICHOLAS PAPHITIS, Associated Press Writer
2 hours, 45 minutes ago



ATHENS, Greece - 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.

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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."

[sakabatou]

1. *facepalm*

[madinmaryland]

2. Uhhhhhmmmmm. Ok.

:shrug:

[ismnotwasm]

3. "My sister can't say she is a Lesbian"

Oh, I'm sorry, but that just cracks me up. Makes me want to move there. "So, what's your ethnic background?" Oh, I'm a quarter cherokee, a quarter Scots, and half Lesbian"

Anyway, what a stupid thing.

[madinmaryland]

6. You're half lesbian??

:rofl:

[LynneSin]

7. Isn't someone who is half-lesbian a bisexual

:shrug:

[DarkTirade]

22. That's assuming the other half is straight.

[LynneSin]

29. Oh my - what else could they be

:scared:

[DarkTirade]

33. There's plenty to choose from outside the binary straight/gay.

[ismnotwasm]

8. On my mothers side

:evilgrin:

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

4. Effin greeks are stealing all the good words ...

They stole the word Feta so only Greek cheese can be named Feta. Danes had to rename their product to "Danish Goat Cheese" or something generic like that.

Now they want "lesbian".

Next, the towns of Athens, NY, and Athens, GA, will have to change their names. And Michigan State will have to come up with a new name for their teams.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

5. oh lord.

[terrya]

9. It appears that the people of Lesbos are the stupidest people on the planet

Dumbasses. And, it appears, bigoted dumbasses.

[LynneSin]

12. They said at the very end it that they had nothing against gay women

and it was only 3 people with the lawsuit - not everyone on the island of Lesbos

[Dr. Strange]

14. Lesbians are the stupidest people on the planet?

That doesn't sound very pergressive.

I think the people of Lesbos have a legitimate gripe here. I propose that we start referring to gay people--both male and female--as "Texans."

[terrya]

20. I bristle nowadays at the idea of thinking anything gay or lesbian

Or labeled as gay or lesbian is somehow derogatory. I see too much of this around here.

Just my .02, for what it's worth.

Perhaps it's not progressive. I guess I should be more open minded. I wish others would be the same about me.

[LynneSin]

21. I hope you didn't mean me with the post

First, it's not everyone on the island of Lesbos that is part of the lawsuit. And in the article those that are suing even said they are not against Lesbian (the women who love women), just tired of the ignorance they get when they say 'Hey I'm a Lesbian +(those from the Island of Lesbos)' and people make rude comments about that.

This is no different than the issue with Beaver College (which I had 3 friends graduate from the school and they got tons of shit for that moniker). Even the WWF (the animal rights group) went after the WWF (Wrestling folks) to reclaim back their name.

I hardly think there is any homophobia within the lawsuit BUT I do think the suit is kinda frivilous especially since it's only 3 Lesbians (those from the island of Lesbos) that are enacting the suit.

[terrya]

25. No, I didn't, Lynne.

I overreacted without reading the full story in context.

Thanks.

[LynneSin]

27. I can't blame you

There's so much going against anyone who isn't 110% straight - it's a shame, it shouldn't be that way. I just thought it was funny in the same way that other people have fought for rights for a title: Beatles Apple vs. iPod Apple, WWF Pandas vs. WWF Wrestlers, etc. etc.

[Xithras]

10. Well, I can kinda see how that could suck.

Imagine all the crap those poor Greek guys have to put up with when they say "I'm a lesbian." Most people would assume that they're either being an insensitive prick, they're mocking homosexual women, or they're transgender themselves. The jokes must be neverending, and I can imagine that one would get really sick of it after a while.

I suspect, however, that they'll have better luck renaming their island than getting people to stop using the word lesbian. Mytilene doesn't sound half-bad, and if it's already somewhat used, just encourage it.

[LynneSin]

13. That's why Beaver College changed their name

They got so tired of all the jokes Howard Stern made about their name

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcadia_University#Notable_Alumni

[meegbear]

19. Poor Theodore ...

[stuntcat]

11. omg too much

:rofl: I have to share this news lol :rofl:

[yellowcanine]

15. See Windmill. Stop. Tilt at said Windmill. Rewind and repeat.

[Deep13]

16. Like the article says, blame Sappho...

...the poet whose work is now lost to history. One Greek king said he wanted to hear Sappho and then die because nothing would ever be as moving as she was. What is all we had from Shakespear was a few fragments from his lesser works? That is how it is with Sappho: a treasure of human culture lost forever because it did not agree with a new religion.

If these islanders want to divorce themselves from one of the greatest artists of all times, it is their loss.

[Zuiderelle]

17. Now, I have heard it all.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

23. will you leave phoebe's body now?

[LanternWaste]

18. Wasn't there a faux-metal band who wanted to copyright a chord

Wasn't there a faux-metal band who wanted to copyright a chord or a particular key of music sometime ago?

This has got be just as nuts...

[cloudbase]

24. Next up:

Residents of Crete sue morons over the use of cretin. Film at eleven.

[nomorenomore08]

31. "Four! Five! Six! Seven! All good cretins go to heaven!"

Sorry, couldn't resist the Ramones reference... :silly:

[KamaAina]

26. Maybe the people of Lebanon could join the suit

and make it a class action. :eyes:

[LynneSin]

28. I have a funny story about that

I'm a graduate of Lebanon Valley College. This, of course, was back when Lebanon, the country, had all of the issues.

You know how many people thought I was going to college in the country of Lebanon and not Lebanon County in Central Pennsylvania (the home of Lebanon Balogna)

[KamaAina]

30. But did anyone think you were "Lebanese"?

:P

I actually remember Lebanon bologna. Some of it made it across the line into Md. where I grew up. Kicks Oscar Mayer's butt!

Ditto for scrapple, though below the Mason-Dixon it is served with ketchup, never maple syrup.

[Adams Wulff]

35. LynneSin will appreciate this...

I once had a check held for 2 weeks because it was drawn on the Bank of King of Prussia.

I was told it was standard procedure for all foreign banks.

It was 1980.

The bank was in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.

[Deja Q]

32. Ruh-roh.

[HamstersFromHell]

34. Maybe old age is catching up to me, but...

I remember a "trivia quiz" online ages ago with "trick" questions, one of which was: "What do the people who live in the isle of Lesbos call themselves?"

The correct answer was not Lesbians, but Lesbosians. Now maybe these three are just a little undereducated?

Either that or the residents of Tampa might consider suing all the makers of certain feminine hygiene products. :evilgrin: