The burning question not answered by that article is: What does a lesbian from Lesbos call herself?
"A Lesbian lesbian." (Note capitalization.)
So if a lesbian actress emigrates from Beirut and settles in Mitilini, that makes her a Lebanese-Lesbian lesbian thespian?
Or even better, a Lesbanese-Lesbian lesbian thespian living in Lisbon.
This thread has so much Win.
I am picturing Soundwave saying that :P
So when will the Greek Government get bent out of shape over "doing it Greek style"?
Probably not too soon, as I believe that's known as "French Style" in Greece.
So what's their beef then? It's Greek Style to the rest of the world, just like lesbians.
I call sexism!
Ah, but is it?
How can you be sure?
Meanwhile, the actors guild members of the neighboring island of Thesbos are becoming increasingly histrionic about their own struggle.
hmm, so basically they want to redefine the meaning of a word via the courts...
The USA managed to redefine "torture" so that all kinds of things normally considered torture are not "torture".
What annoys me about this is not so much that they're getting upset about appropriation of their name for something else (though attempting to solve this through the courts is a laughably futile exercise) but that they think that people will accord them the moral ground for doing so not primarily from the fact that they had the name first but from their belief that it is now being used for something shameful.
Lesbians with a big L (the inhabitants of the Greek island of Lesbos) want lesbians with a small L (gay women around the world) to stop hijacking their word and disgracing the name of their island. The Greek government is so embarrassed by the term that it has renamed the island after its capital, Mytilini.
Why did the island try to attract the lesbian tourist trade, then?
My guess is the island is divided. Those who work in the tourism trade probably see no problem with the dual-usage, and enjoy the extra business it brings, while those who don't have any close connections with the tourist trade, some of them don't like the name.
Admittedly, referring to heterosexual inhabitants of said island does produce the rather amusing "straight Lesbians"
I thought the island was called "Lesvos" in Modern Greek anyways?
Greek's all Greek to me, but I imagine that still means that Lesbians and lesbians are both L/lesvians.
Also, love the icon; it's the first Coupling icon I've seen. (And Jeff's move to Lesbos in the last series was one of the first things that came to mind when I read the article.)
Yeah, that's probably true. I wasn't thinking about the fact that it was a Greek organization.
Thanks. :-) I've got several Coupling icons. It's always cool when someone recognizes them.
Actually, I blame the trademark type reforms in the EU for this. Apparently it's no longer legal to describe a drink as Port, Champagne, and certain other names, unless those drinks are grown/made in those particular areas with the same names (e.g. Oporto, Champagne). This is also the case for some cheeses and so on. What people have to do now is describe things like "a port like drink". So, the Islanders are actually reclaimed their trademark rights. Admittedly I can see their point. If you were a straight woman and described as a Lesbian it might cause some confusion. There aren't to many synonyms for lesbian that can be used in "polite company". Are you really going to refer to someone as a "dyke" or "finger friend" because like Queer, they can offend if used inappropriately.
If you were a straight woman and described as a Lesbian it might cause some confusion.
Not to mention the mens' problem...
My home town should claim those rights for the famous "hamburger" :P
 I'm perfectly happy letting the name fade out. I'd rather be a Sapphist any day.
That has a nicer ring to it. They can keep Lesbian. | 
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