Achillean, also known as Apollonian, Wildean or Chaeronean, is a term that describes men or man-aligned individuals who are attracted to men or man-aligned individuals.[1][2] This attraction is not exclusive, however.[1] The term includes gay men as well as those who are bi, pan or any other identity. It can be used by anyone who views themselves as man-aligned or masculine, whether they are cisgender, transgender or non-binary.[3]
It is also used as a synonym for "men loving men."[2]
Etymology
The term comes from Achilles, the name of the hero is Homer's Iliad.[4] The character shares a close bond with another male figure in Greek legend, Patroclus. Most believe that this relationship is queer.[3]
History
The term "Achillean friendship" was used in 1883 by John Addington Symonds to describe affectionate masculine relationships.[3]
The first use for achillean to be used for queer men was in 1959, by A.C. Hamilton.[3] The use of "achillean" predates the use of "gay" when describing queer men. The term fell out of fashion for a while, before gaining popularity again around 2016 due to the achillean flag.[1]
Flags & Symbols
The achillean flag was created by Tumblr user pridenpositivity-blog, but the most commonly used flag was redesigned by Pride-Flags on DeviantArt.[3]
Another achillean flag was created by BlueSky user dragonBishop on March 19, 2025. The flower represents attraction, with the green carnation being the chosen flower due to Oscar Wilde's use of the flower to represent queer men. The yellow represents non-binary individuals, the white represents multigender individuals, the blue represents masculinity and the lavender represents femininity.[5]
Subterms
| Label | Flag | Description | Coiner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bambi Achillean |  [6]
|
An achillean individual who prefers more sensual acts of intimacy over sexual acts. | genderstarbucks[6] |
| Non-Binary Achillean |  [7]
|
A non-binary individual who identifies as achillean. | Anonymous[7] |
Alternative Flags
![Achillean (mister-manly-man)[8]](/wiki/File:Achillean_5.png)
![Achillean (Pacack)[9]](/wiki/File:Achillean_4.png)
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Reese, Edward. “Achillean (MLM) - What Is It? What Does It Mean?” Taimi, 26 Nov. 2024, taimi.com/wiki/achillean-mlm-what-is-it-what-does-it-mean/. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Stillman, Andrew J. “What Does “Achillean” Mean and How Is It Any Different than Being Gay?” Yahoo Life, 5 Sept. 2024, www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/does-achillean-mean-different-being-145400060.html. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 wikiHow. “Achillean: The LGBTQIA+ Term’s Meaning, Flag, & More.” WikiHow, 25 Mar. 2024, www.wikihow.com/Achillean. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
- ↑ “Merriam-Webster Dictionary.” Merriam-Webster.com, 2025, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Achillean. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
- ↑ dragonBishop. “School Manager by Family Zone.” Bsky.app, 2025, bsky.app/profile/agavegator.bsky.social/post/3lkqv3x3xvc2h. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 genderstarbucks. “Page Restricted.” Tumblr.com, 2025, www.tumblr.com/genderstarbucks/702277536329154560/hiiiiyyyaaaa-could-i-request-a-bambi-sapphic. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 LGBTQIA+ Wiki. “Non-Binary Achillean - LGBTQIA+ Wiki.” LGBTQIA+ Wiki, 23 Apr. 2021, lgbtqia.wiki/wiki/Non-Binary_Achillean?oldid=42788. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
- ↑ Pride-Flags. “Achillean (5) by Pride-Flags on DeviantArt.” Deviantart.com, DeviantArt, 4 Apr. 2021, www.deviantart.com/pride-flags/art/Achillean-5-874982359. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
- ↑ Pacack. “Reddit - the Heart of the Internet.” Reddit.com, 2019, www.reddit.com/r/QueerVexillology/comments/d0cn6c/my_take_on_the_achilleanmlm_flag/. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.