The island was home to the poetess Sappho in the 6th century BC, hence the coining of the phrase 'sapphism' to also describe lesbianism.

Although little of Sappho's work remains, she garnered a reputation as a poetess of great talent.

According to an epigram in the Anthologia Palatina attributed to Plato:

Some say the Muses are nine: how careless!
Look, there's Sappho too, from Lesbos, the tenth.

But the islanders contend that Sappho never practiced same-sex love -- a notion refuted by modern scholars.

Now they want modern-day lesbians to stop using the term and have turned to the Greek courts for redress.

They have targeted a group called the 'Homosexual and Lesbian Community of Greece' (OLKE), saying that their use of the term 'insults the identity' of the islanders.

"My sister can't say she is a lesbian," said Dimitris Lambrou, one of the litigants.

"Our geographical designation has been usurped by certain ladies who have no connection whatsoever with Lesbos."

"This is not an aggressive act against gay women."

"Let them visit Lesbos and get married and whatever they like.

"We just want [the group] to remove the word lesbian from their title."

Lambrou's contention is that lesbian has only been used as a term to describe gay women for decades.

"But we have been lesbians for thousands of years," said Lambrou.

The group targeted by the lawsuit sees it as the product of 'prejudice'.

"The claim is based in serious prejudice and hatred," said Andrea Gilbert, spokesperson for Athens Pride 2008 and a member of OLKE.

"The term lesbian to define women who love women exists in every dictionary of just about all UN member nations."

"The term is recognised universally."

"OLKE, the Homosexual and Lesbian Community of Greece, is a legal entity whose name is legally accepted and registered in Greece."

"It has existed since 2003."

"This is a ridiculous claim that most Greeks find laughable."

"However, the underlying homophobia and reactionary sentiment is no laughing matter."

"We 'despised, name-usurping lesbians' from all over the world bring tons of money to the island in the form of tourism."

Gilbert is alarmed that the islanders seriously believe that Sappho was in fact heterosexual -- in contradiction to writings by the poetess in the first person that contain references to love for other women.

"According to them, the notion that she practiced same-sex love is a heinous distortion," said Gilbert.

"This would be hilariously funny if it wasn't so pathetic -- and so scary."

"Since it's a universally legally recognised term, their case will likely be thrown out, but with the New Democracy regime, one never knows how much pandering will go on."