Achillean Blue Rose Flag (CatColors, 2020)
Achillean / MLM Umbrella Pride Flag ·
An alternative achillean/MLM flag created by Twitter user CatColors, using a blue rose emblem instead of the traditional green carnation. The flag was designed for those who prefer not to use the term 'achillean.' It features five stripes in blue, sky blue, white/grey, light violet, and light purple, each representing a different subcommunity within the men-loving-men umbrella.
Key facts
- Designer
- CatColors (Twitter)
- Created
- First documented public use
- In use
- 2020-present
- Aspect Ratio
- 2:3 · apparent
- Ratio Notes
- The file held here is 275 by 183 pixels, a height to width of 0.666, which is 2:3. No proportion is published. [1]
- Stripes
- 5
- Represented Identity
- Men loving men (MLM) and nonbinary people loving men (NBLM)
Also known as
- Blue Rose MLM Flag
- Blue Rose Flag (CatColors)
Status Variant
Archive categories Sexual & Romantic Orientation Pride Flags
Overview
To provide a flag and label for MLM/NBLM individuals who do not wish to use the term 'achillean' or its associated green carnation symbolism.
Twitter user CatColors created the blue rose flag and term as alternatives to achillean for those who prefer not to use that label. The flag replaces the green carnation (associated with Oscar Wilde and the achillean flag tradition) with a blue rose emblem. The stripe design also departs from the achillean flag's light-blue-and-white scheme, instead using five stripes representing distinct subcommunities within the MLM umbrella.
Identity & Context
- Represented Identity
- Men loving men (MLM) and nonbinary people loving men (NBLM)
- Subcommunity
- men-loving-men umbrella
The 'blue rose' term and flag were created as alternatives for those within the MLM community who prefer not to use the word 'achillean.' The achillean label, coined by Tumblr user asculan in June 2016, references the mythological figure Achilles and his relationship with Patroclus. Some community members have expressed discomfort with the term for various reasons, leading to alternative labels such as 'blue rose,' 'wildean,' 'chaeronean,' and 'apollian.'
Creators
The Creator
CatColors
Designer
Twitter user credited with the blue rose term and its flags, posted July 1, 2020, as an alternative to achillean for those who prefer not to use that word. The LGBTQIA+ Wiki refers to CatColors with he/him. No other biographical information has been located beyond the account.
Motivations
- To give MLM and NBLM people who dislike the word achillean a term and a flag of their own. [2]
Attribution notes
Designed by Twitter user CatColors and posted on July 1, 2020, together with the term blue rose itself, offered as an alternative label for achillean and MLM people who do not wish to use the word achillean. [2] CatColors attached a condition to the flag's use: the LGBTQIA+ Wiki records that he "has specified that the flag is not inclusive of or to be used by MLM who are Bi Gay or Pan Gay, per his wishes", citing his own post. [2][3]
Origin
- Specific Place
- Twitter (@CatColors)
- Place Type
- online community
- Digital Origin
- Yes
Digital origin; no verified physical location.
Created and posted on Twitter by user CatColors. The flag was designed as part of a broader effort to provide alternative terminology and symbols for the men-loving-men community.
Dates & Chronology
- Year Created
- Exact date
- First public use
- Period in Use
- 2020-present
- Creation Bounds
- Sources disagree. The LGBTQIA+ Wiki dates the term and flags to July 1, 2020 and cites a post by CatColors archived that same day. [2][3] The MOGAI Wiki instead says they were designed "sometime before April 30, 2021", citing a later third-party Tumblr post. [4] This entry follows the July 1, 2020 date: it rests on a dated capture of the designer's own post, and the MOGAI page carries a notice that it is copied wholesale from another wiki rather than independently researched.
The flag and blue rose label circulate in online MLM communities, particularly on Twitter and LGBTQIA+ identity wikis. Two versions circulate, one carrying the blue rose emblem and one without it. [2]
The blue rose flag is one of several alternative MLM flags that emerged in the early 2020s as the community discussed which labels and symbols best represented the diversity of men-loving-men experience.
Lineage
- Indirect influences
- Rainbow Pride Flag
Created as an alternative to the achillean flag tradition. Replaces the green carnation with a blue rose and uses a different stripe scheme. Related to the achillean flag through shared community but intentionally divergent in both terminology and visual design.
Colors & Symbolism
The five stripes each represent a different subcommunity within the men-loving-men umbrella. The blue rose emblem serves as an alternative to the green carnation, providing a symbol for those who do not identify with the 'achillean' label.
| Colour | Hex | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light blue | #B8DAFF | Gay men. | The second band. Sampled from the file held here. [1] |
| Sky Blue | — | Bisexual and pansexual men. | — |
| White/Grey | — | Gender-nonconforming and nonbinary MLM/NBLM individuals. | — |
| Light Violet | — | Asexual-spectrum MLM individuals. | — |
| Light Purple | — | All pronoun/neopronoun and xenogender MLM individuals. | — |
| Light cyan | #C2F2FF | — | The top band. Sampled from the file held here. [1] |
| Pale pink-white | #FAEDFF | — | The centre band, which is faintly pink rather than grey. Sampled from the file held here. [1] |
| Periwinkle | #A0AAEF | — | The fourth band. Sampled from the file held here. [1] |
| Purple | #A194E4 | — | The bottom band. Sampled from the file held here. [1] |
This flag has no official digital palette. Color values shown are approximate.
- Blue rose
- An alternative symbol for the men-loving-men community, replacing the green carnation associated with the achillean tradition. The blue rose serves as the emblem for those who prefer the 'blue rose' label over 'achillean.'
Stripe meanings are documented on LGBTQIA+ wiki sources. The blue rose symbol is specific to the CatColors design and the 'blue rose' terminology framework.
CatColors published no specification and no reference site catalogues this variant. The five values above are sampled from the file held here, replacing an earlier set approximated from circulating images which did not match it: that set gave a saturated #5BC2E7 for the top band where the artwork is #C2F2FF, and a neutral #E8E8E8 for the centre where the artwork is the faintly pink #FAEDFF. The whole design is paler than the approximation suggested. [1]
Design
- Aspect Ratio
- 2:3 · apparent
- Ratio Notes
- The file held here is 275 by 183 pixels, a height to width of 0.666, which is 2:3. No proportion is published. [1]
- Orientation
- horizontal
- Stripe Count
- 5
- Layout
- horizontal stripes with symbol
- Stripes (Top → Bottom)
- light cyan, light blue, pale pink-white, periwinkle, purple
- Center Symbol
- blue rose
Five horizontal bands, measured down the fly at roughly 17.5, 17.5, 13, 17.5 and 17 per cent of the height with the emblem interrupting the centre. A blue rose sits at the middle in place of the green carnation the 2016 flag carries. [1]
Five horizontal stripes, from top to bottom: light blue, sky blue, white or grey, light violet, and light purple. A blue rose emblem is centered on the flag.
Usage & Adoption
- First Users
- Twitter MLM community
- Online Usage
- Twitter, LGBTQIA+ identity wikis
- Current Status
- active
Circulates in online MLM communities, particularly among those who prefer the 'blue rose' label over 'achillean.'
Image Archive
Variant flag
Discourse & Debates
- The 'blue rose' label and flag exist within a broader community discussion about which terms and symbols best represent men-loving-men identity. Some prefer 'achillean' for its mythological resonance; others find alternative terms more inclusive or personally meaningful.
Common misidentifications
- May be confused with other MLM flag variants. The blue rose emblem distinguishes it from the green carnation achillean flag.
The term 'blue rose' was coined by CatColors alongside this flag as an alternative to 'achillean' for MLM/NBLM individuals.
Footnotes & Citations
Sources and footnotes 5 sources
- 1. MLM Flags. MLM Flags (Carrd). Accessed 2026-04-01
- 2. Achillean. LGBTQIA+ Wiki. Accessed 2026-03-31
- 3. Social media CatColors post coining the blue rose term and flags. CatColors. Twitter (2020-07-01). Accessed 2026-08-17 · Archived version
The designer's own post, cited by the LGBTQIA+ Wiki as its authority for the date and for the condition on use. Not read directly: Twitter is unreachable and web.archive.org does not resolve from this environment. The archived URL is reproduced as the wiki gives it; the stable identifier is the status ID 1278342916642086913.
- 4. Achillean. MOGAI Wiki. Accessed 2026-03-31
The page states that it is copied in full from another wiki and is flagged there as not meeting that wiki's standards, so it does not corroborate the LGBTQIA+ Wiki independently. It gives a different, looser date for this flag.
- Rainbow flag (LGBTQ). Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia (2026-06-25). Accessed 2026-07-24
Image Sources
- The variant as circulated. [1] · Credit: CatColors · MLM Flags · 275 × 183Rights No licence statement located.
- The Achillean Blue Rose Flag by Twitter user CatColors, posted July 1, 2020. Created as an alternative for those who prefer not to use the term achillean. Light blue represents gay men, sky blue represents bisexual and pansexual men, white/gray represents gender-nonconforming and nonbinary MLM/NBLM, light violet represents a-spec MLM, and light purple represents all-pronoun, neopronoun, and xenogender MLM. · Credit: CatColors (Twitter) · Original 2020 designRights No licence statement located.