Lesbians Face Court Challenge From Lesbians

Girl-on-Greek Fight Over Rights to the 'L Word'

I am NOT making this up.

From the BBC:

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 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.

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.

C'mon - the term embarrasses the Greek government?! And violates the human rights of the inhabitants of Lesbos, even disgraces them around the world? That's a little heavy handed, don't you think? Let's try to put things in perspective here.

And think about the possible consequences. What if you end up facing future lawsuits from Melissa Etheridge (pictured with life partner Tammy Lynn Michaels) over the inconvenience and expense of having to change all her publicity bios to read 'Mytilinian?' Because you know that's what they're going to start calling themselves if you win this thing. And who knows, even Dick Cheney might find a way to take offense. He's not exactly stable you know.

..Not to mention the possible reaction from the people of Sodom, Israel. 'Cause you just know they're going to want a piece of this if this lawsuit is successful.

(note: this is where I was going to end the post with a terrific YouTube clip of a classic Saturday Night Live sketch - the Chamber of Commerce of Sodom discussing a promotion campaign for the upcoming tourist season.

Dan Aykroyd's character summed it up, "sure we've got all those other things - great hotels, fine dining, sightseeing. But let's face it, most of the tourists come here for the sodomy." In the end the Chamber decided to keep their slogan from the previous year, "come for the sodomy, stay for all that other stuff."

You'll just have to imagine it. Take my word, it was hilarious.)

TAGS: Gender Identity, Humor, Melissa Etheridge, Isle of Lesbos