Mission & Justice

22/7/08; http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24063095-12335,00.html

An Athens court has rejected a complaint by inhabitants of the Greek island of Lesbos who had wanted gay women to stop monopolising the term ‘lesbian’, a justice source said. The court ruled that the term “lesbian” does not define status and personality and therefore the islanders had no reason to complain that they felt personally slighted by its use. Three residents of the Aegean Sea island had filed a complaint in April, calling on the Greek Gay and Lesbian Community (OLKE), the country’s main homosexual association, to drop the term. The verdict is open to appeal. Often referred to in Greece as Mytilene - the name of Lesbos’ capital - the island was the home of the poet Sappho, who expressed her love of other women in lyric verses written in the early sixth century BC. Many locals are rankled by the fact that the resort of Eressos is a popular tourist destination for lesbians.

Bassam Za’za’; 20/5/08

Two women on Tuesday stood trial for kissing and cuddling on a public beach. The women, a 30-year-old Lebanese visitor and 36-year-old Bulgarian employee, pleaded not guilty to kissing, cuddling and sleeping on each other like married couples before the Dubai Court of Misdemeanour. The Public Prosecution charged the girls with kissing, groping each other and indecently gesturing in public. The two girls, who are currently on bail, denied their charges during yesterday’s hearing.

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15/4/08

The Anglican Archbishop of Sydney Peter Jensen has backed a Brisbane school’s decision to turn down a request by gay students to bring male partners to a school dance. A number of Anglican Church Grammar School’s 215 Year 12 students want to take their gay partners to their end-of-year dance on June 19. However, under current policy, they may only attend the ball with a female partner. Dr Jensen said he supported civil rights for gay people but homosexuality in the eyes of the church was wrong.

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