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<H2 ALIGN=CENTER><FONT COLOR="#0000FF">SAPPHO</FONT></H2>

<H3 ALIGN=CENTER><FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><I>by</I> Linda Frankel</FONT></H3>

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<P><B>On Lesbos there was a school teacher named Sappho who had consenting
sexual relationships with her adolescent students. This was no ordinary
school; for the teacher was a priestess of Aphrodite, the goddess of love
and sexual passion. All the pupils were girls. Today we call all women
who prefer women lesbians in honor of Sappho. Yet it has occurred to no
one that Sappho preferred girls. Like Socrates she dallied with her young
students and tended to be just as ecstatic about the joys of such love
as the pedophile sage of Athens.</B><BR>
</P>

<P><B>How do we know how the girls felt about it? Sappho quotes her student
Atthis as saying:</B><BR>
</P>

<UL>
<P><B><FONT COLOR="#800000">Sappho, if you will not get up<BR>
and let us look at you<BR>
I shall never love you again<BR>
Get up, unleash your suppleness<BR>
lift off your Chian nightdress</FONT></B></P>
</UL>

<P><B>(Fragment 43 in <I>SAPPHO: A NEW TRANSLATION,</I> by Mary Barnard,
University of California Press 1958)</B></P>

<P><B>This does not strike me as an invitation to a tea party, but is rather
a refreshing exhibition of adolescent sexuality. One does not berate one's
teacher for refusing to get undressed unless one happens to like looking
at her naked.</B></P>

<P><B>Contemporary sexual morality would condemn Sappho out of hand, but
the ancients called her &quot;divine Sappho&quot;. Sexual relationships
between student and teacher that involved mutual consent were actually
considered in a positive light. Learning intimacy from an experienced adult
was considered beneficial for the young and a significant part oftheir
education. Sappho would not have been so well thought of if the girls she
taught hadn't grown to an admirable womanhood through her guidance.</B></P>

<P><B>If the lesbian community of today were aware that their foremother,
Sappho, was a lover of girls, they might be more understanding of NAMBLA.
They would consider NAMBLA's viewpoint more often with an open mind. Perhaps
more girl-loving lesbians will begin to speak out, so their voices can
be added to NAMBLA's effort for sexual reform. They are letting NAMBLA
fight a battle that is theirs, too.</B></P>

<P><B>For all those women who may read this and who know I am speaking
to them, let me close with a benediction from Sappho:</B></P>

<UL>
<P><B><FONT COLOR="#800000">The gods bless you<BR>
May you sleep then<BR>
On some tender<BR>
girl friend's breast.</FONT></B></P>
</UL>

<P><B>(Barnard, Fragment 96)</B></P>

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<P>This report is from <I><A HREF="bulletin.htm">The NAMBLA Bulletin</A></I>,
Vol. 4, No. 3 (April, 1983), Pg. 9.</P>

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<P><A HREF="select.htm"><IMG SRC="m0p7nau7.gif" BORDER=0 HEIGHT=58 WIDTH=58></A>Copyright
&copy; NAMBLA, 1997. All rights reserved.</P>

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	<BODY TEXT="#904050" BGCOLOR="#FFFFE8" LINK="#1F74CF" VLINK="#0070FF" ALINK="#0070E3">

	<H2 ALIGN=CENTER><FONT COLOR="#0000FF">SAPPHO</FONT></H2>

	<H3 ALIGN=CENTER><FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><I>by</I> Linda Frankel</FONT></H3>

	<CENTER><P><IMG SRC="colorbar.gif" HEIGHT=3 WIDTH=600></P></CENTER>

	<P><B>On Lesbos there was a school teacher named Sappho who had consenting
	sexual relationships with her adolescent students. This was no ordinary
	school; for the teacher was a priestess of Aphrodite, the goddess of love
	and sexual passion. All the pupils were girls. Today we call all women
	who prefer women lesbians in honor of Sappho. Yet it has occurred to no
	one that Sappho preferred girls. Like Socrates she dallied with her young
	students and tended to be just as ecstatic about the joys of such love
	as the pedophile sage of Athens.</B><BR>
	</P>

	<P><B>How do we know how the girls felt about it? Sappho quotes her student
	Atthis as saying:</B><BR>
	</P>

	<UL>
	<P><B><FONT COLOR="#800000">Sappho, if you will not get up<BR>
	and let us look at you<BR>
	I shall never love you again<BR>
	Get up, unleash your suppleness<BR>
	lift off your Chian nightdress</FONT></B></P>
	</UL>

	<P><B>(Fragment 43 in <I>SAPPHO: A NEW TRANSLATION,</I> by Mary Barnard,
	University of California Press 1958)</B></P>

	<P><B>This does not strike me as an invitation to a tea party, but is rather
	a refreshing exhibition of adolescent sexuality. One does not berate one's
	teacher for refusing to get undressed unless one happens to like looking
	at her naked.</B></P>

	<P><B>Contemporary sexual morality would condemn Sappho out of hand, but
	the ancients called her "divine Sappho". Sexual relationships
	between student and teacher that involved mutual consent were actually
	considered in a positive light. Learning intimacy from an experienced adult
	was considered beneficial for the young and a significant part oftheir
	education. Sappho would not have been so well thought of if the girls she
	taught hadn't grown to an admirable womanhood through her guidance.</B></P>

	<P><B>If the lesbian community of today were aware that their foremother,
	Sappho, was a lover of girls, they might be more understanding of NAMBLA.
	They would consider NAMBLA's viewpoint more often with an open mind. Perhaps
	more girl-loving lesbians will begin to speak out, so their voices can
	be added to NAMBLA's effort for sexual reform. They are letting NAMBLA
	fight a battle that is theirs, too.</B></P>

	<P><B>For all those women who may read this and who know I am speaking
	to them, let me close with a benediction from Sappho:</B></P>

	<UL>
	<P><B><FONT COLOR="#800000">The gods bless you<BR>
	May you sleep then<BR>
	On some tender<BR>
	girl friend's breast.</FONT></B></P>
	</UL>

	<P><B>(Barnard, Fragment 96)</B></P>

	<CENTER><P><IMG SRC="colorbar.gif" HEIGHT=3 WIDTH=600></P></CENTER>

	<P>This report is from <I><A HREF="bulletin.htm">The NAMBLA Bulletin</A></I>,
	Vol. 4, No. 3 (April, 1983), Pg. 9.</P>

	<CENTER><P><IMG SRC="colorbar.gif" HEIGHT=3 WIDTH=600></P></CENTER>

	<P><A HREF="select.htm"><IMG SRC="m0p7nau7.gif" BORDER=0 HEIGHT=58 WIDTH=58></A>Copyright
	© NAMBLA, 1997. All rights reserved.</P>

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