According to the AP, three residents of the Greek island of Lesbos, whose inhabitants are known as Lesbians, are taking the Homosexual and Lesbian Community of Greece to court over their name. One of the litigants says, "This is not an aggressive act against gay women. Let them visit Lesbos and get married and whatever they like. We just want (the group) to remove the word lesbian from their title."
Their argument: they've been Lesbians for thousands of years. These new lesbians have usurped the name and corrupted it with a sexual connotation.
Well, it seems a little late to put that horse back in the barn. It's not like getting this one group to change its name to The Gay Men and Women's Club of Greece or whatever is going to stop the word's being used to refer to gay women.
But maybe the Lesbians know that and are just trying to create a new connotation for the word lesbian: crazy litigious. Let's try it. The next time someone says they're filing a lawsuit for no reason, say, "Oh, you Lesbian!"
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 2)
1. correct me if i'm wrong, but didn't we get the term lesbian from some greek poem where they went to lesbos and they were having giant gay orgies?
hannah at 3:17PM on May 1st 2008
2. This is absolutely ridiculous! Trying to change the word "lesbians" to some other reference for gay women is not likely to happen. The day that actually works is the day when our government admits that Debrorah Palfrey and Brandy Britton did not commit suicide---Duh!
Some things have just gone on too long and to try and change SOME things is just not realistic; especially when you're dealing with the government or Gay Rights! Ha!
Misunderstood at 4:02PM on May 1st 2008
3. Good article Ada...thank you. And to hannah, I believe the term came about from the female poetess, Sappho, who was from that region and has nothing to do with orgies. Maybe you just wish it did.....
SKY at 4:07PM on May 1st 2008
4. Words can mean anything we want them to mean.
Bob at 4:27PM on May 1st 2008
5. Much of the lore of Lesbos is attributed to the ancient poet Saphos recognized by her timeless and heartfelt prose celebrating Sisterhood. She was a "notorious" woman of her era characterized by the complaints of ancient philosophers in their writings. Not much was known about who this woman was or her poetry until a mummified crocodile was disemboweled to reveal strips of papyrus that contained her lyrics. In many instances, every other line of her poetry is lost to antiquity and remains subject to much interpretation. If she had remained silent, as expected of the chattel of that time, we would not be having these disagreements regarding her sexuality and the place of Lesbians in a civilized world.
Petros at 4:30PM on May 1st 2008
6. Must be a Greek thing. Like complaining about the "Former Yugoslav Republic of" Macedonia wanting to call itself just plain Macedonia.
dr jay at 5:00PM on May 1st 2008
7. maybe honorary citizenship should be bestowed on all who participate in , er, um, er, Lesbian activities.
whoops at 5:39PM on May 1st 2008
8. You can identify yourself any way you like. I am a citizen of the US, I am an American, I am from Los Angeles, I came out of a freaking volcano. Don't limit yourself because of language; or we might see cro-magnons on TV. Give it a break and fret about something that has vital implications. Jlwvr
joel weaver at 12:48PM on May 3rd 2008
9. You don't have to state exactly where you're from; no point of origin that might be offensive to you - I'm American, I'm from the USA, I live off the coast of Cuba, I'm living on an island in the south of Greece, I live on a mountain in Peru. Don't make it difficult - you can explain to anyone who cares later. Joel
joel weaver at 11:20PM on May 5th 2008
10. Keep it general
joel weaver at 10:14PM on May 1st 2008
11. When i was 24 I spent a month in Greece. That was back in the 70's and I was politely honest and inquisitive. I asked all around where the Isle Of Lesbos was and no one told me. When I traveled I often looked up origins of writers , I'd read. Never did see where Sapho was from, darn, but I saw Stamps Arkansas. Don't worry, be happy.
Cawz at 9:29PM on May 1st 2008
12. In a related story, the numbers 6 and 9 have filed a defamation of character lawsuit against the same community...apparently they will be digging up Johnnie Cochran to represent them.
This comes after a failed class action suit against Sesame Street on the grounds that today's show was not, in fact, brought to you by them.
doug at 10:26PM on May 1st 2008
13. It seems to me that a person from Lesbos would be most properly reffered to as a "Lesbosian". Gay women from the island would then be "Lesbosian lesbians."
Grisha at 8:36AM on May 2nd 2008
14. Ada, I hope this isn't going to start a new trend of lawsuits worldwide. Will General Chauvin's descendents be suing everyone that uses the word chauvinist?
JefFlyingV at 8:38AM on May 2nd 2008
15. Got it. Had a good laugh. You gotta' luv them greeks both ancient and modern.
Jedi at 9:40AM on May 2nd 2008