What is Achillean? Achillean is defined as a romantic and/or sexual orientation referring to a man or man-aligned individual who is attracted to other men and man-aligned people. Gay, bisexual, and pansexual men alike can use the label achillean! It is the MLM equivalent of sapphic for lesbians or bisexual and pansexual women. What are the word and flags origins? The word achillean refers to the Greek hero Achilles, who was romantically involved with another man, Patroclus. In Homer's Iliad, in which their relationship plays a crucial part in the story, Achilles described Patroclus as being the "man I loved beyond all other comrades, loved as my own life." After Homer's iteration, the relationship between the two men was depicted as a love affair. The first instance of achillean being used in the context of men attracted to men is in 1959 in A.C. Hamilton's scholarly article titled "Spenser's Treatment of Myth". The flag has two blue stripes on the top and bottom representing men. In the center is a green carnation. In ancient Rome and 19th century England, green indicated gay affiliations. Victorian men would often pin a green carnation on their lapel, as popularized by author Oscar Wilde. In general, the achillean flag represents joy. The original achillean flag was created by Tumblr user pridenpositivity in 2016. The flag was redesigned by DeviantArt user Pride-Flags on October 5, 2016, which is widely accepted as the current achillean flag.
Thanks to @wonderlandhomeschool for inspiration on how to format the information, and the LGBTQIA+ wikis for information on the achillean identity! Note: I love this identity to use for myself due to the historical depth and literary connections!! Happy pride everyone <333
