Lesbos residents lose case over word ‘lesbian’

Today's stories that have queer people talking

The residents of the Greek island of Lesbos have lost their court bid trying to stop everyone else in the world using the word “lesbian” to refer to gay women. The judge ruled against them, which is sad news for the residents of Gay, North Carolina; Bear Town, Mississippi; Big Bottom Township, Arkansas; and good old Dildo, Newfoundland.

Estelle Getty died yesterday at 84. The actress became a gay favourite as the acid-tongued Sophia on “The Golden Girls,” starred onstage in Harvey Fierstein’s “Torch Song Trilogy” and fundraised for AIDS charities. Here’s how we’ll remember her:

Blanche: “Sophia, people don’t say ‘queer’ anymore, they say ‘gay.'”
Sophia: “They say ‘gay’ if a guy can sing the entire score of ‘Gigi.’ But a 6’3″, 200-pound married man with kids who likes to dress up like Dorothy Lamour? I think you have to go with ‘queer.'”

As the star of the cult-favourite campfest “Showgirls,” Elizabeth Berkeley flirted with lesbianism (and acting!). Now she’s dipping her fingers in yet again as she’s joining the final season of “The L Word.” We can’t wait for the scene where Shane pushes her down the stairs!

A former editor of the late, lamented fab magazine, Scott has been writing for Xtra since 2007 on a variety of topics in news pieces, interviews, blogs, reviews and humour pieces. He lives on the Danforth with his boyfriend of 12 years, a manic Jack Russell Terrier, a well-stocked mini-bar and a shelf of toy Daleks.

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