lesbians label, who actually are lesbians ??

**Long Duck Dong** · Jul 23, 2008, 8:55 AM

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

The term lesbian is now widely used to describe homosexual women

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.

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 the poet 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.

**Long Duck Dong** · Jul 23, 2008, 9:05 AM

its interesting that article

while we have been raising the banner about our rights as LGBT....part of the LGBT may have been walking all over the rights of others.....

now the issue arises... do the lesbians ( lady lovers of ladies ) surrender that title if the people of lesbos win their case, out of respect for the rights of the people of lesbos...

and if so... by what term would a lady lover of ladies become known

as a fight for rights.... who can actually claim the rights to the label of lesbian....

**vittoria** · Jul 23, 2008, 9:33 AM

That's pretty fkkn awesome!!!

Makes for a couple of damn good questions:

*If Sappho wrote the poetry, not the island, why name a group of people based on sexual orientation after the island? (Tho it IS true that people use the term "sapphic" to speak of women who love women)

*So, Sappho was bisexual, RIGHT?!?

**jamieknyc** · Jul 23, 2008, 10:36 AM

Originally Posted by vittoria

*So, Sappho was bisexual, RIGHT?!?

Watch out! Those are fighting words to some people!

**FalconAngel** · Jul 23, 2008, 11:09 AM

Originally Posted by vittoria

That's pretty fkkn awesome!!!

Makes for a couple of damn good questions:

*If Sappho wrote the poetry, not the island, why name a group of people based on sexual orientation after the island? (Tho it IS true that people use the term "sapphic" to speak of women who love women)

*So, Sappho was bisexual, RIGHT?!?

Actually, Sappho was gay. The term lesbian probably came about from something as normal as someone somewhere saying something along the lines of "Oh, you mean Sappho, the Lesbian? She prefers the company of women."

the origin of words and usage is very interesting.

As far as this particular case, I don't envision the GLBT community, worldwide, even considering changing the "L", but if they did, it would probably be to something like "Sapphites" or "Sapphians".
But those words just don't flow off the tongue like "lesbians" does.

**vittoria** · Jul 23, 2008, 11:17 AM

Someone wrote an article on that very same topic..
http://www.trivia-library.com/b/was-...sappho-gay.htm

Originally Posted by FalconAngel

Actually, Sappho was gay. The term lesbian probably came about from something as normal as someone somewhere saying something along the lines of "Oh, you mean Sappho, the Lesbian? She prefers the company of women."

the origin of words and usage is very interesting.

As far as this particular case, I don't envision the GLBT community, worldwide, even considering changing the "L", but if they did, it would probably be to something like "Sapphites" or "Sapphians".
But those words just don't flow off the tongue like "lesbians" does.

**bigirl_inwv** · Jul 23, 2008, 11:38 AM

Even if they change the term lesbian to refer to gay women...do you really think people are going to stop saying it? How is that even enforceable? They may be able to legally change the term as far as government goes...but they can't stop people from using it in their everyday lives. I mean, if you've called a fork a fork everyday...you're not going to stop calling it a fork just because the government decides it's now a spoon.

**parkerbi** · Jul 23, 2008, 12:49 PM

Originally Posted by bigirl_inwv

Even if they change the term lesbian to refer to gay women...do you really think people are going to stop saying it? How is that even enforceable? They may be able to legally change the term as far as government goes...but they can't stop people from using it in their everyday lives. I mean, if you've called a fork a fork everyday...you're not going to stop calling it a fork just because the government decides it's now a spoon.

I totallly agree with what you said.

**frenchvikki** · Jul 23, 2008, 12:59 PM

Just what is the greek word for a native of Lesbos? Is it lesbian? Gay women have been known as lesbian for centuries. Or lesbienne in the french. Something else in german etc etc etc. Part of Lesbos tourist success is due not simply to where it is, but because of its historical and mythological connections. Many words have come to mean something else. Not least of course the word gay. Will happy people sue to stop that being used to denote homosexuals?

I am not a lesbian by I have had some lesbian encounters, and taken part in lesbian activities. Whatever happens I doubt if any of the world outside Greece, certainly not gay or bisexual people, will take much notice although the Greeks may try and so something through the European Union. They can be notoriously odd and unpredictable sometimes about things like that. Straight bananas and of all things cucumbers for instance. lol. I suppose they may try and stop us using the word dyke too since that is actually a wall.

**12voltman59** · Jul 23, 2008, 2:30 PM

They had the hearing today regarding the term "lesbian"--the people of Lesbos lost out--they could not ban the term "lesbian" from being used to refer to female homosexuals.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...ourt-case.html

**TaylorMade** · Jul 23, 2008, 3:53 PM

I do like the term Sapphic and use it occasionally. I admit if I did meet someone from that area and had regular contact with them, I'd change it out of respect.

*Taylor*

**meteast chick** · Jul 23, 2008, 11:33 PM

Originally Posted by 12voltman59

They had the hearing today regarding the term "lesbian"--the people of Lesbos lost out--they could not ban the term "lesbian" from being used to refer to female homosexuals.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...ourt-case.html

Yay! I'm a lesbian not a spoon!!!

luv and lesbian kisses,
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
meteast

**bigregory** · Jul 23, 2008, 11:45 PM

If I carry a bundle of sticks( a faggot) across the island of Lesbo would that make me bisexual?

**vittoria** · Jul 24, 2008, 12:02 AM

Originally Posted by bigregory

If I carry a bundle of sticks( a faggot) across the island of Lesbo would that make me bisexual?

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!!!!! !!!!