Achillean / MLM (Men Loving Men)

An umbrella term for men (and masculine-aligned people) attracted to other men, regardless of whether they also experience attraction to other genders. Encompasses gay, bisexual, pansexual, and queer men, and masculine-aligned non-binary people. MLM (Men Loving Men) is used similarly in online spaces.

From the Greek hero Achilles, whose bond with Patroclus has been interpreted by many scholars as romantic and/or sexual - mirroring how "sapphic" references the poet Sappho. Adopted from academic queer studies into community use through Tumblr in the 2010s.

Academic use of "achillean" to reference male same-sex love predates community adoption. Tumblr users in the 2010s began using it alongside "sapphic" as a community identity label - useful for bisexual and pansexual men and for masculine-aligned non-binary people who felt excluded by "gay" as a label.

• "Achillean is just a synonym for gay." Achillean is a broader umbrella - it encompasses gay men, but also bisexual men, pansexual men, and masculine-aligned non-binary people who are attracted to men or masculinity and feel excluded by "gay" as a label.
• "The Achilles/Patroclus relationship was just a close friendship." The scholarly consensus increasingly interprets their bond as romantic and/or erotic. Plato's Symposium describes it in overtly romantic terms. The "just friends" reading reflects later revisionist traditions.