Maverique Pride Flag
Identity Pride Flag ·
A three-stripe yellow, white, and orange pride flag for maverique identity, a nonbinary gender characterized by inner conviction and autonomy from the binary. Coined and designed by Vesper H. (queerascat) on June 15, 2014.
Key facts
- Designer
- Vesper H. (queerascat)
- Created
- First documented public use
- In use
- 2014-present
- Aspect Ratio
- 3:5 · standard
- Stripes
- 3
- Represented Identity
- maverique
Also known as
- maverique
Status Canonical
Archive categories Gender Identity Pride Flags
Overview
To provide a distinct symbol for maverique identity, a gender experience that Vesper H. found was not captured by existing nonbinary labels like neutrois, agender, or androgyne. [1]
Vesper H. coined the term 'maverique' around June 1, 2014, after determining that 'neutrois' did not adequately describe their gender experience. Where neutrois implies neutrality, maverique describes a gender characterized by autonomy and inner conviction entirely independent from the male-female binary. The flag was released on June 15, 2014, in a blog post at queerascat.com. The definition was subsequently reworked in a 'v2.0' post on June 21, 2014. [1][2]
Identity & Context
- Represented Identity
- maverique
- Subcommunity
- nonbinary umbrella
- Language Context
- The word 'maverique' is Franglais, blending English 'maverick' with the French suffix '-ique' (meaning 'similar to'). Pronounced 'mav-REEK' (rhymes with 'antique'). Can be used as both a noun and an adjective. [1]
Creators
The Creator
Vesper H.
Creator of the maverique identity and flag (confirmed, high confidence)
Vesper H. (online handle queerascat) is an American expatriate living in Japan who uses they/them pronouns. They coined the term 'maverique' around June 1, 2014, after finding that 'neutrois' did not fit their gender experience due to its implications of neutrality. They released the flag on June 15, 2014, and reworked the definition on June 21, 2014 (the 'v2.0' post). [1][2]
Yellow was chosen because of its association with non-binary gender and because it is a primary color, which means that it cannot be obtained from combining other colors and is independent of them, similar to maverique's relationship to female/femininity and male/masculinity.
Motivations
- To name a gender identity characterized by inner conviction and complete autonomy from the binary, distinct from neutrois
Stated inspirations
Attribution notes
Vesper H. coined both the term and designed the flag.
Origin
- Specific Place
- queerascat.com / Tumblr blog 'Queer As Cat'
- Place Type
- blog
- Digital Origin
- true
Digital origin; no verified physical location.
Published on Vesper H.'s blog Queer As Cat (queerascat.com) on June 15, 2014, with the definition reworked on June 21, 2014. [1][2]
Dates & Chronology
- Year Created
- Exact date
- First public use
- Period in Use
- 2014-present
The flag appears on Wikimedia Commons and is used on Wikipedia pages including 'LGBTQ symbols,' 'Pride flag,' and 'Triband (flag).' Mid-South Pride recognizes and lists the flag in their flag guide. Multiple alternative flag designs have been created over time by other users, though Vesper H.'s original remains the standard. [3]
The most significant early criticism was that maverique seemed too similar to 'third gender' and too reliant on Western binary gender as a reference point. Vesper H. responded by reworking the definition in the v2.0 post, moving away from defining maverique as 'outside conventional gender.' [2]
Lineage
- Indirect influences
- Nonbinary Pride Flag, Genderqueer Pride Flag, Rainbow Pride Flag
Maverique emerged from the same 2014 Tumblr nonbinary identity wave that produced aporagender (coined two days earlier, on June 13, 2014). Both identities describe nonbinary genders that are not neutral or absent, distinguishing them from neutrois and agender.
Colors & Symbolism
The flag's colors were deliberately chosen to avoid blues, pinks, and purples, which carry established gender associations. Vesper H. selected yellow, white, and orange specifically because they are independent from the blue/pink color vocabulary of the gender binary. [1]
| Colour | Hex | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | #FFF344 | Represents primary/elementary gender. Yellow is a primary color in CMYK that cannot be obtained by combining other colors, making it entirely independent from cyan (blue) and magenta (pink). This parallels maverique's relationship to male/masculinity and female/femininity: completely independent, not derived from either. [1] |
| White | #FFFFFF | Represents autonomy and independence, both from the gender binary and from the entire spectrum of genders created by combinations of blue/masculinity and pink/femininity. Vesper H. almost excluded white due to its association with genderlessness but kept it because the meaning of autonomy resonated. [1] |
| Orange | #F49622 | Represents a deep, burning inner conviction regarding one's own gender, as well as the unorthodox and individualistic nature of 'mavericks,' the word from which the identity takes its name. [1] |
Original creator blog post [1]
All color meanings come directly from Vesper H.'s original blog post. The deliberate exclusion of blues, pinks, and purples is a defining design choice: Vesper excluded those colors because they carry set gender associations that have nothing to do with maverique. White was nearly excluded due to its association with genderlessness, but was ultimately included because the meaning of autonomy and independence resonated strongly enough. [1]
Hex values sourced from Vesper H.'s original blog. Creator-adjacent values from queerascat.com and flagcolorcodes.com. Some secondary sources list slightly different values (e.g., #FFE734 for yellow, #FDA01D for orange). The values above are from the creator and are the most authoritative. [1][4][5]
Design
- Aspect Ratio
- 3:5 · standard
- Orientation
- horizontal
- Stripe Count
- 3
- Layout
- horizontal_stripes
- Stripes (Top → Bottom)
- Yellow, White, Orange
Three equal horizontal stripes ordered top to bottom: yellow, white, orange. No emblem or additional symbols. [1]
Three equal horizontal stripes. The top stripe is yellow (#FFF344), the middle stripe is white (#FFFFFF), and the bottom stripe is orange (#F49622).
Usage & Adoption
- Organizations
- Mid-South Pride
- Online Usage
- Wikimedia Commons, Wikipedia (LGBTQ symbols, Pride flag, Triband articles), Wikis and community flag guides
- Current Status
- active
The flag is recognized by Mid-South Pride and appears on Wikimedia Commons and multiple Wikipedia articles. Multiple alternative flag designs have been created by other users, though Vesper H.'s original yellow-white-orange design remains the standard. [3]
Image Archive
Flag design
Discourse & Debates
Common misidentifications
- Sometimes conflated with neutrois, though maverique specifically rejects the neutrality implied by neutrois
- Sometimes grouped loosely with agender, though maverique describes the presence of a specific gender rather than the absence of gender
Common confusions
- Maverique is distinct from neutrois (neutral gender), agender (absence of gender), and androgyne (mix of genders). Maverique describes a gender characterized by autonomy and inner conviction, entirely independent from the binary.
Criticisms
- Early criticism that maverique seemed too similar to 'third gender' and too reliant on Western binary gender as a reference point; Vesper H. reworked the definition in response [2]
The word 'maverique' is Franglais: English 'maverick' (unorthodox) + French '-ique' ('similar to'). The distinction is important: while 'maverick' implies a conscious, rebellious stance, being maverique is not a conscious choice or a stance against the gender binary but an inherent feature of the person. Pronounced 'mav-REEK.' [1]
Footnotes & Citations
Sources and footnotes 8 sources
- 1. The Maverique Flag. Vesper H. (queerascat). Queer As Cat (blog) (2014-06-15). Accessed 2026-03-19
- 2. "maverique" v2.0. Vesper H. (queerascat). Queer As Cat (blog) (2014-06-21). Accessed 2026-03-19
- 3. Maverique. LGBTQIA+ Wiki. Accessed 2026-03-19
- 4. The Maverique Flag. Vesper H. (queerascat). Queer As Cat (blog) (2014-06-15). Accessed 2026-03-30
- 5. Maverique Flag Color Codes. flagcolorcodes.com. Accessed 2026-03-30
- "maverique" v2.0. Vesper H. (queerascat). Queer As Cat (blog) (2014-06-21). Accessed 2026-03-30
- Maverique Pride Flag. Mid-South Pride. Accessed 2026-03-30
- Rainbow flag (LGBTQ). Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia (2026-06-25). Accessed 2026-07-24
Image Sources
- Rendering
- three-stripe standard
- The Maverique Pride Flag, a three-stripe design representing a gender identity characterized by autonomy and inner conviction, existing outside the traditional spectrum. · SVG reconstruction