‘Lesbian’ Fight Heats up on Lesbos

I’ve heard Lesvos also called “Mytilini”. In fact, most people I know call it that. Does it have anything to do with the word?  I’m guessing, yah, but I haven’t investigated. By the way, from the photographs I’ve seen, Mytilini/Lesvos is a beautiful island.

One should ask if it is appropriate to strip any group of an identity label that carries positive meaning.

I was going to comment on this post about calling Sappho a goddess, but obviously someone already noticed that and changed it! I can see where the poeple of Lesbos are coming from, but it would take a stupendous act to get people around the world to change their language… and even then it probably wouldn’t work.

I believe Mytilini was originally a city on the island itself; I studied it a bit in my Greek history class.  It’s frustrating for me to have people giggle whenever I try to have an intelligent conversation with them about the island… I can’t imagine how the residents feel.

Nevertheless, I am a gay activist in the states.  If you will check world news you will discover that a member of the GLBT community in Palm Beach was murdered yesterday.  This a local as well as a world issue.

As a person whose parents came from Lesbos, I think I can explain the name confusion.  The island is called Lesbos, or Lesvos.  For obvious reasons, the vos spelling is more frequently used.  The capital city of the island is called Mytilini.  This name comes from the ancient days when the island was also called Mytilini.  During its height of prominence before BC.  Sapho was a very renowned poet.  She was a feminist, and she support women through her poetry.  There is no recorded history proving that she was a lesbian.  She may have been, or she may not. However; the island was very prominent with other very famous writers and philosophers.  Today on the island you will find many ancient sites.  You will find in the old city part of the capital an ancient amphitheater.  Through out the island you will find the remains or other temples, such as Aphrodite near Aghia Paraskevi.  In later history, the island was the center of trade in the Aegean.  Because of this, at one time the island was part Venice and you will find several Venetian Castles, or forts.  The island is very beautiful and large enough so that you can easily spend 2 or 3 weeks visiting and not repeat your trips.  Today, the island has been drawing more tourist.  The island is a full year travel destination and a favorite place for bird watchers.  The island is a stop and resting place for many species of birds traveling south from northern Europe.  Birds migrating south spend the winters there to escape the cold north, or stay in the summer to escape the Sahara desert heat.  Whatever your likes and wants are, Lesvos will leave you truly happy with your visit.  The people are extremely open and hospitable.  The food is excellent, plenty of seafood especially from Oct 1 through June 1 when shellfish fishing is allowed.  As you can tell, I love the island and try to be there as much as I can.  Fortunately for me, I have the family homestead to visit.

Thanks. I hope all will read.

The name of the Island of Lesbos has been through a few changes, depending on which regime is in power.  But, Mytiline has been used since the Ottoman Turks conquered it in the late 1400s.  Lesbos didn’t suddenly drop from the nomenclature because of women who started using that name in the late 20th century.

The binary opposition of gay-straight, or homosexual-heterosexual, is a contemporary phenomenon. What we now call bisexuality was a reality of many cultures, prior to the enforcement of a patriarchal, heterosexual regime.

If it were not for the hatred and fear of same-gender love relationships this would be a non-issue.