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

[RebelDarlin]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080430/..._lesbian_pride

By NICHOLAS PAPHITIS, Associated Press Writer
38 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.

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.

I wonder why it took so long?

[golfhobo]

I wonder why it took so long?

Couldn't find a lawyer who would stop LAUGHING long enough to take the case!

[kreeper01]

What? a town in Greece named Lesbos is sueing over the name "lesbian" all because is under the guidelines of discrimination? the word "lesbian" has been around since women were atracted to other women for some unknown reason, that is beside the point.

If i was a lawyer, i would be laughing to hard to take the case.

[RebelDarlin]

What? a town in Greece named Lesbos is sueing over the name "lesbian" all because is under the guidelines of discrimination? the word "lesbian" has been around since women were atracted to other women for some unknown reason, that is beside the point.

If i was a lawyer, i would be laughing to hard to take the case.

Little history lesson. Since the Capital City of the Isle of Lesbos, Mytilene, was founded in the 11th century BC, and the term lesbian being used to describe homosexual women can only be traced back to the 1800's (AD) I think they may have a valid point. The word lesbian is derived from the poems of Sappho, born in Lesbos, which contain powerful emotional content directed toward other females and have frequently been interpreted as expressing homosexual love.

If you were smart enough to get into law school, you would probably know you need to get your facts straight before you open your mouth!

[golfhobo]

What? a town in Greece named Lesbos is sueing over the name "lesbian" all because is under the guidelines of discrimination? the word "lesbian" has been around since women were atracted to other women for some unknown reason, that is beside the point.

If i was a lawyer, i would be laughing to hard to take the case.

Little history lesson. Since the Capital City of the Isle of Lesbos, Mytilene, was founded in the 11th century BC, and the term lesbian being used to describe homosexual women can only be traced back to the 1800's (AD) I think they may have a valid point. The word lesbian is derived from the poems of Sappho, born in Lesbos, which contain powerful emotional content directed toward other females and have frequently been interpreted as expressing homosexual love.

If you were smart enough to get into law school, you would probably know you need to get your facts straight before you open your mouth!

Just a few points of clarification.....

The word Lesbian, like American, or European, has been used to "identify" the inhabitants of the island of Lesbos since it WAS a civilization. (LONG before 1800.)

ANY reference to the inhabitants of that island as Lesbians, first used in the 1800's, (ONLY after civilized scholars understood Sappho's writings,)was probably used in "denigration" of them as a society of female homosexuals, and THAT is when it took on the derogitory meaning it has today.

However, certain words and phrases reach the level of "public domain" and I think the current term of "lesbian" fits that requirement. Therefore, regardless of the history and etymology.... the term cannot be construed to imply prejudice against the INHABITANTS of Lesbos,..... known as Lesbians..... any more than the term "***gots" could be deemed "injurious" to any citizens of any town or country known as ***.

Sorry.... case dismissed!

Moreover, if they HAD a case..... it would HAVE to be based on prejudice, and would have to extend to ALL usage of the word as "hate speech" and not JUST to a single Greek organization using the term. Otherwise.... it is prejudicial against GREEKS using the term, and THAT is against free speech and international law.

Nope, sorry..... if you don't want to be called a Lesbian, don't live on the island of Lesbos. Almost EVERY civilized country in the world has laws against hate speech, and LESBIAN is not considered as such. Nor is Gay. Nor is Republican.

IF the people of Lesbos REALLY objected to the use of the word, they'd DENOUNCE the writings of Sappho, but that they will NOT do! NOR will they refuse the lesbian weddings they make so much money from, nor the lifestyle they cater to! De Facto evidence for the defense!

[RebelDarlin]

So now you're an expert at Greek law too? :wink:

[golfhobo]

So now you're an expert at Greek law too? :wink:

Naw..... I just like to argue!

But, I DID spend the NIGHT there for a year and a half!! But, it wasn't at the Holiday Inn Express! :wink:

Personally.... I think the "group" should drop the word Lesbian from their name. It is REDUNDANT! And I WOULD think that a GREEK organization would be more sensitive to their own people!

[RebelDarlin]

From Here:
http://womenshistory.about.com/libra...bio_sappho.htmSappho of Lesbos

(wrote about 610-580 B.C.E.)
poet
Sappho, a poet of ancient Greece, is known through her work: ten books of verse published by the third and second centuries B.C.E. By the Middle Ages, all copies were lost. Today what we know of the poetry of Sappho is only through quotations in the writings of others. Only one poem from Sappho survives in complete form, and the longest fragment of Sappho poetry is only 16 lines long.

The poems of Sappho are more personal and emotional than political or civic or religious, especially compared to her contemporary, the poet Alcaeus.

Sappho lived in Mytilene on the island of Lesbos, where women often congregated and, among other social activities, shared poetry they'd written. Sappho's poems usually focus on the relationships among women.

This focus has given rise to speculation that Sappho's interest in women was what today would be called homosexual or lesbian. (The word "lesbian" comes from the island of Lesbos and the communities of women there.) This may be an accurate description of Sappho's feelings towards women, but it may also be accurate that it was more acceptable in the past -- pre-Freud -- for women to express strong passions towards one another, whether the attractions were sexual or not.

[kreeper01]

If you were smart enough to get into law school, you would probably know you need to get your facts straight before you open your mouth!

I am not into world history, also, this is crazy to even try to sue over something that should of been taken care of years ago instead of waiting till now to do something about it.

[stormothecentury]

So if they can't be called lesbians anymore, would they be called munchurians?

[golfhobo]

So if they can't be called lesbians anymore, would they be called munchurians?

Doubt it! The people of Munchuria would sue!