I knew a guy in college. All four of his grandparents had come to the U.S. from Lesbos. He would proudly boast of the fact that he was a full-blooded Lesbian.
At least some inhabitants of Lesbos aren’t happy about it. In 2008 some Lesbosians filed suit in a Greek court to prohibit the use of the word “Lesbian” to refer to homosexual women. They lost.
Really “some”? At the time, I had the impression it was mainly one particular jerk/wise guy.
More on Sapphics
Unlike Greek and Latin with their long and short syllables, I am not sure Greek meter/Sapphic stanzas exactly translate into English. However, searching on Wikipedia does turn up a few attempts:
Ah the singing, ah the delight, the passion !
All the Loves wept, listening ; sick with anguish,
Stood the crowned nine Muses about Apollo ;
\quad Fear was upon them,
While the tenth sang wonderful things they knew not.
Ah the tenth, the Lesbian ! the nine were silent,
None endured the sound of her song for weeping ;
\quad Laurel by laurel,
Faded all their crowns; but about her forehead,
Found her woven tresses and ashen temples
White as dead snow, paler than grass in summer,
\quad Ravaged with kisses,
Shone a light of fire as a crown for ever.
Yea, almost the implacable Aphrodite
Paused, and almost wept ; such a song was that song.
\quad Yea, by her name too…