May 3, 2008 | Sex & Society

Lesbos wants "lesbian" back

Some inhabitants on the Greek island of Lesbos want gay rights groups to stop using the term "lesbian." The islanders refer to themselves as Lesbians but not in a woman-loving-woman kind of way.

And guess what? It's a man pushing the issue. Dimitris Lambrou argues that the human rights of his people are being violated. “My sister can’t say she is a Lesbian,” Lambrou whined.

"To use this word and to get it imposed internationally constitutes a rape of our historic identity and our human rights," a legal claim states. "Instead, we have been forced to avoid its use, fearing that we will be socially misunderstood and ridiculed both within Greece and internationally."

Also called Mytilene, Lesbos is famed as the birthplace of Sappho and is a popular women's tourist destination.

Lambrou has asked the court to grant an injunction against the Homosexual and Lesbian Community of Greece to force the organization to change its name. If they win, Lambrou plans to take on lesbians around the world.

Wonder Woman will not like the sounds of that!