Court: Lesbos Islanders Not the World's Only Lesbians

A Greek court has ruled against a group of Greek islanders from Lesbos demanding that gay women stop calling themselves "lesbians".

The court apparently told the islanders they do not have sole claim to the "Lesbian" moniker. No other details on the ruling were immediately available.

"A group of islanders from Lesbos filed a lawsuit against the Homosexual and Lesbian Community of Greece in April, accusing it of insulting locals, who are also called Lesbians. 'They insult our historical and geographical identity by using the name,' Dimitris Lambrou said. The islanders were seeking to have the group barred from using the word 'Lesbian' in its name...The island of Lesbos is also called Mytilene, after its capital, and is a popular holiday destination for gay women. Lambrou, who publishes a magazine on ancient Greek religion, said the islanders will take their complaint to international courts if need be. 'The word lesbian has been associated with gay women for the past few decades but we have been Lesbians for thousands of years,' he said."

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Greek Lesbos Islanders Begin Judicial Quest Today Over 'Lesbian'

A group of plaintiffs from the Greek island of Lesbos (pictured below) begins their quest in court today to stop gay women from calling themselves lesbians. It seems as though they'd have to take their court case around the world. And even then:

"The hearing has been initiated by plaintiffs on the Aegean island of Lesbos, who say they are unhappy that gay women have 'usurped' a term that locals claim should have only geographical connotations. 'We are very upset that, worldwide, women who like women have appropriated the name of our island,' said Dimitris Lambrou, a magazine publisher who is one of those bringing the complaint with other islanders. 'Until 1924, according to the Oxford English dictionary, a Lesbian was a native of our isle,' he said. 'Now, because of its new connotations, our womenfolk are unable to call themselves such and that is wrong.'"

Since they announced their intentions at the end of April, a mayor on the Greek island of Tilos conducted two same-sex marriages, bringing gay issues to the forefront of the nation. The issue has already stirred conflict: "On Saturday police intervened (above) when members of the far-right Golden Dawn group attacked gay pride marchers in the biggest ever Gay Pride parade in Athens. Thousands of supporters marched through the capital chanting 'it is our right', but were pelted with eggs, flour and yoghurt by the group."

Two clips of the riot police, and of marchers having eggs and yogurt thrown on them during the Pride parade in Athens, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Greek Islanders of Lesbos Want the Name 'Lesbian' Back [tr]

Left, marchers assault by debris from above. Right, riot police block the street.

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Greek Gay Marriages Prompt Swift Judicial Response

The same-sex weddings that took place yesterday on the small Greek island of Tilos were met with quick response from Greek's judicial authorities:

"Greek Justice Minister Sotiris Hatzigakis quickly declared the marriages "non-existent" and accused the local mayor of 'arbitrarily' overstepping his authority. 'There is no legal framework for the holding of same-sex weddings in Greece,' Hatzigakis said in a statement. But Greece's main homosexual association Olke pledged to fight back. 'A step forward for equality has been taken... We're going to fight for the recognition of our rights,' said Evangelia Vlami, 47, a prominent Olke member who was one of the newlyweds on Tuesday....The prosecutor of Rhodes island -- the administrative centre of the Dodecanese island group -- on Tuesday called on the mayor to annul the marriage and opened a preliminary inquiry to examine the mayor's prosecution for breach of duty. But Mayor Aliferis, a socialist, said there was no legal obstacle to the ceremony taking place. 'I have no intention of annulling the marriages,' he told AFP."

The mayor was charged with breach of duty later in the day by the Rhodes prosecutor. It carries a maximum five-year sentence.

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Greek Island of Tilos Holds Country's First Same-Sex Marriages

Citing Greek civil law which fails to explicitly specify gender in matrimony, the mayor of the Greek island of Tilos, Tassos Aliferis, officiated the marriage of a gay and lesbian couple today, the BBC reports:

"Mr Alfieris conducted the proceedings despite Greece's top prosecutor having issued a directive saying that same-sex weddings were outlawed. One of the women involved, Evangelia Vlami (pictured), was bubbling with excitement as she told the BBC she was 'so happy'....'From this day, discrimination against gays in Greece is on the decline. We did this to encourage other gay people to take a stand,' she said after the ceremony held at sunrise on Tuesday."

Vlami also told Reuters: "We are very moved and happy that we found someone to make our dream come true. I am proud to be the first Greek Lesbian to get married."

According to Reuters, Vlami is the spokesperson for Greece's Gay and Lesbian Community (OLKE): "The Justice Ministry said the marriages were illegal and all involved would face charges. 'The law does not allow marriage between homosexuals,' a Justice Ministry official who requested anonymity told Reuters. 'The case will go to court; the mayor of Tilos will face charges.' But OLKE said it hoped the weddings would help change attitudes towards homosexuals in Greece, which has long preferred to turn a blind eye to homosexuality rather than acknowledge gay rights."

Said the mayor of nearby Rhodes: "This is terrible. We have good families coming here for holidays, we can't have them coming to our beaches and seeing these kind of couples."

Greece sees first gay 'marriage' [bbc]
Greece holds first gay weddings [reuters]

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Greek Isle Mayor Hopes to Conduct First Same-Sex Wedding [tr]

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Greek Isle Mayor Hopes to Conduct First Same-Sex Wedding

Mayor Tassos Alfieris of the Greek island of Tilos hopes to officiate the first same-sex wedding ceremony in Greece:

"Tilos Island Mayor Tassos Alfieris says he would carry out the ceremony for two gay men who took the first official step toward marriage by posting a wedding notice in a Greek newspaper. No date has been set for the service. Greek civil ceremonies are conducted my municipal officials. Greece's Orthodox Church has expressed strong objections to gay marriage in the past. In March a lesbian organization discovered a loophole in a 26-year-old law that does not specify gender in civil wedding. The two men on Tilos would be the first pair to test it."

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Greek Islanders of Lesbos Want the Name 'Lesbian' Back [tr]

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Greek Islanders of Lesbos Want the Name 'Lesbian' Back

A group from the Greek island of Lesbos, said to be the birthplace of the female Greek poet Sappho and also a huge holiday draw for girls who love girls, is taking the Homosexual and Lesbian Community of Greece to court to stop them from using the word "Lesbian" in their name, saying that it usurps the identity of the island:

"Three islanders from Lesbos — home of the ancient poet Sappho, who praised love between women — have taken a gay rights group to court for using the word lesbian in its name. One of the plaintiffs said Wednesday that the name of the association, Homosexual and Lesbian Community of Greece, "insults the identity" of the people of Lesbos, who are also known as Lesbians. '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."

Said Dimitris Lambrou, one of the plaintiffs: "My sister can't say she is a Lesbian. Our geographical designation has been usurped by certain ladies who have no connection whatsoever with Lesbos. 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...We have been Lesbians for thousands of years."

Now there's a Sisyphean pursuit if I've ever heard of one.

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OUT IN SPORTS: John Amaechi, Esera Tuaolo, Dave Kopay, and Billy Bean were among the out athletes taking part in an HRC panel during the NCAA Men’s Final Four basketball tournament. Here are part two and three.

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BILL O'REILLY vs GERALDO: Meltdown over immigration during discussion about a young girl killed by an illegal alien drunk driver.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here!

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