Greek Islanders
Lose "Lesbian" Case

A Greek court on Tuesday ruled that a gay rights group can use the word lesbian in its name, stating that the people from the island of Lesbos do not have sole claim to the word, reports Reuters.

A group from the Aegean island filed a lawsuit against the Homosexual and Lesbian Community of Greece in June, claiming its name was an affront to the residents of Lesbos, who refer to themselves as Lesbians. A Greek court ruled against the islanders.

"This is a good decision for lesbians everywhere," Vassilis Chirdaris, lawyer for the Gay and Lesbian Union of Greece, told Reuters. "A court in Athens could not stop people around the world from using it. It was ridiculous."

The island of Lesbos is also called Mytilene, after its capital, and is a popular holiday destination for gay women, especially the village of Eressos, which is regarded as the birthplace of the seventh century B.C. poet Sappho. (The Advocate)