Recently the Greek island of Lesbos launched a legal campaign against a homosexual group in an effort to keep the group from using the word “lesbian” in their name.


Kallonis Bay on Lesbos. Image by Henryk Kotowski

The lawsuit, filed by the island’s inhabitants, seeks to bar the Greek Gay and Lesbian Union (Olke) from using the word in its name.  According to local activist Dimitris Lambrou, the islanders have suffered psychological and moral rape" from what he calls the "seizure" of the island’s name by gay groups. They argue the use of the term lesbian to mean more than “of the island of Lesbos”, has caused great mental distress.

An Athenian court will likely hear the case in June according to Mr. Lambrou.

Angelina Vlam, a spokesperson for the Greek Gay and Lesbian Union, dismissed Lambrou’s case as preposterous.

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

Lesbos is the third largest of the Greek islands, lying a few miles off the western coast of Turkey. The island’s name became synonymous with female homosexuality because of the poems of Sappho, a poet from Lesbos who wrote poems celebrating female love.

A resort on the island is a popular destination for lesbians. The term “lesbian”, derived from the name of the island, has been used to refer to female homosexuals since first appearing during the Victorian era in the 19th century.

For more about the island of Lesbos and its ancient association with lesbianism, check out our article on historical homosexuality.

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