Achillean

Last updated
Achillean
Pronunciationə-ˈki-lē-
Etymology Achilles + -ic
AbbreviationsMLM
Subcategories
Flag
Achillean pride flag Achillean flag.png
Achillean pride flag
Flag nameAchillean pride flag

Achillean is an umbrella term for men who are attracted to other men, [1] regardless of sexual or romantic orientation. This term includes men who are gay, bi, pan, m-spec, ace-spec, aro-spec, non-binary, and queer. It is the counterpart to sapphic. A synonym is Vincian, referring to the idea that Leonardo da Vinci was attracted to men. [2]

Contents

Etymology

Achilles bandages the arm of Patroclus Akhilleus Patroklos Antikensammlung Berlin F2278.jpg
Achilles bandages the arm of Patroclus

The term derives from Achilles, the greatest warrior among the Greeks at Troy and slayer of Hector from Homer's Iliad. [3] The definition comes from the relationship between Achilles and his friend Patroclus. Some have interpreted this relationship as a same-sex relationship. [1]

The term Vincian was coined by Tumblr user bivirgil on June 22, 2018. He created the original flag in the same post. [2]

Use

The term achillean is used to refer to any man who is attracted towards other men, such as homosexual, homoromantic, multisexual, and multiromantic men. [4]

Flag

The flag has a green carnation in the middle. Green Carnation.jpg
The flag has a green carnation in the middle.

The achillean pride flag was created in 2016 by a tumblr user. [1] The light blue represents men and the green carnation is a reference to Oscar Wilde, who popularized using a green carnation to hint at homosexuality. [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>Queer</i> People who are not heterosexual or not cisgender

Queer is an umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual or are not cisgender. Originally meaning 'strange' or 'peculiar', queer came to be used pejoratively against LGBT people in the late 19th century. From the late 1980s, queer activists began to reclaim the word as a neutral or positive self-description.

The word cisgender describes a person whose gender identity corresponds to their sex assigned at birth, i.e., someone who is not transgender. The prefix cis- is Latin and means on this side of. The term cisgender was coined in 1994 as an antonym to transgender, and entered into dictionaries starting in 2015 as a result of changes in social discourse about gender. The term has been and continues to be controversial and subject to critique.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ community</span> Community and culture of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people

The LGBTQ community is a loosely defined grouping of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning individuals united by a common culture and social movements. These communities generally celebrate pride, diversity, individuality, and sexuality. LGBTQ activists and sociologists see LGBTQ community-building as a counterweight to heterosexism, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, sexualism, and conformist pressures that exist in the larger society. The term pride or sometimes gay pride expresses the LGBTQ community's identity and collective strength; pride parades provide both a prime example of the use and a demonstration of the general meaning of the term. The LGBTQ community is diverse in political affiliation. Not all people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender consider themselves part of the LGBTQ community.

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Queer theory is a field of post-structuralist critical theory that emerged in the early 1990s out of queer studies and women's studies. The term "queer theory" is broadly associated with the study and theorization of gender and sexual practices that exist outside of heterosexuality, and which challenge the notion that heterosexuality is what is normal. Following social constructivist developments in sociology, queer theorists are often critical of what they consider essentialist views of sexuality and gender. Instead, they study those concepts as social and cultural phenomena, often through an analysis of the categories, binaries, and language in which they are said to be portrayed.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Theil, Michele (2024-10-23). "The fascinating meaning behind the MLM term 'Achillean'". PinkNews. Retrieved 2024-11-14.
  2. 1 2 "bivirgil's post". Internet Archive . Retrieved 2025-01-11.
  3. "Definition of ACHILLES". Merriam-Webster Dictionary . Retrieved 2024-11-14.
  4. Barron, Victoria (2023-02-21). Perfectly Queer: An Illustrated Introduction. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. ISBN   978-1-83997-409-0.
  5. Burton, Tara Isabella (2023-06-27). "How Oscar Wilde Created a Queer, Mysterious Symbol in Green Carnations". Literary Hub. Retrieved 2024-11-14.