Islanders want legal right to be 'true lesbians'

[slackmaster]

Source: UK Telegraph

The inhabitants of the island said they were attempting to ban the Greek Gay and Lesbian Union (Olke) from bearing the name "lesbian".

Residents of Lesbos now suffer "psychological and moral rape" from the "seizure" of their island's name by gays, according to the complaint by Dimitris Lambrou, a local activist. He has set out his argument in "The Misfortune of Being Lesbian", published on his website.

Mr Lambrou, who has the support of a member of a nationalist pagan association, said that the case was likely to come before a court in Athens in June. But Evangelia Vlam, a spokesman for Olke, dismissed the claim.

"This affair is totally ridiculous," she said. "But if we are summoned by the courts, we will be heard."...

Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1912191/Islanders-want-legal-right-to-be-%27true-lesbians%27.html

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slackmaster comments: All they really have to do to settle this is to reserve the word "Lesbian" with a capital L for island residents.

[YOY]

1. Kind of funny really.

and sad at the same time...

[Ellen Forradalom]

2. If it weren't for Sappho

Lesbos be just another island.

[msongs]

3. umm they should more likely be called Lesbosians, unless the island name is Lesbi nt

[rocktivity]

4. I'm very impressed

given that ice hockey has such a macho image.



:evilgrin:
rocknation

[Ian David]

5. Or the islanders can be Lesbianites or Lesbosians, and gay women can be Lesbians. n/t

[Toucano]

6. Siezed by gays.

:rofl:

"The word lesbian dates back at least to 1732 and lesbianism appears in the 1870 Oxford English Dictionary meaning sexual orientation rather than a reference to Sappho and inhabitants of Lesbos. Lesbian as an adjective is in the 1890 Oxford English Dictionary and as a noun by 1925. Until the early twentieth century lesbian was interchangeable with Sapphist."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesbian


Damn you Oxford English Dictionary! Damn you to hell!

[arcos]

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

"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.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080430/ap_on_re_eu/greece_lesbian_pride;_ylt=ApGXPxEuhIi18.6aiaeENAGs0NUE

:rofl:

[closeupready]

8. I will enjoy hearing lawyers for Lesbians explain what is wrong with being lesbian.

"Because it says so in the Bible?"

As Scalia would say, "get over it."

[dbonds]

9. Next people from Tampa will be wanting the name Tampon back.

[corporatemedia]

11. And the people from Butte, MT will be wanting to be called Buttocks?

[slackmaster]

16. If men from Michigan are Michiganders, are women from there Michigeese?

:shrug:

[BadgerKid]

17. And what kind of people are those of Ani ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ani

[coriolis]

19. I moved away from there...does that make me a Tampex?

:evilgrin:
(I know the spelling is a little off hahaha)

[Bragi]

10. Whatever NY Islander fans want, they should get /nt

[Aristus]

12. In other news: Fans of Spanish fantasy literature demand that California change its name.

In an old Spanish fairy-tale "California" is the name of a mythical paradise. Fans of this piece of fiction are demanding that the U.S. State of California change its name, as it may mislead people into believing that it is that actual mythical Spanish fantasyland of ancient lore. They are prepared to sue, if necessary.


Oh yeah, :sarcasm:

And: :eyes:

[THUNDER HANDS]

13. 25 years without a Stanley Cup will do that to you

[Blue_Tires]

14. what about the Amazons?

lolz

[dmallind]

15. I am of a happy and lighthearted disposition

Can I sue because I can no longer say "I'm a gay guy" without fear of being misunderstood?

[Igel]

18. Many--most?--languages don't bother to capitalize adjectives.

Spanish, French, Russian, Czech, Polish ... to name a few. Greek's probably in that group as well.

Also you have to keep in mind that Europeans have been haggling over place name adjectives for a while. You can't call Edam "Edam" unless it's made in the right place--same for Champagne, Provolone, etc., etc. They're like trademarks; NYT even had a funny piece about a town in Switzerland with the name "Champagne"--a name they've had for over a millennium--that is forbidden from using its name in marketing it's products. I could see this as an extension of that kind of quibble--a quibble elevated to international law in Europe.

[struggle4progress]

20. "In modern Greek, the .. name is Lesvos and .. inhabitants are .. Lesvonians or Lesviots"

http://www.anglo-hellenic.com/vacancies/lesvos.htm

If you would enjoy reading Dimitris' gripe -- which (babelfished) tells me he'll be in court in Athens, at 9 on Tuesday, 10 June 2008 -- here it is in the glorious original Greek: http://www.davlos.gr/

Of course, this tripe is in -- The Telegraph

[DinahMoeHum]

21. Question: What does it say on Coca-Cola bottles out there?

Answer: use other end.

:sarcasm: