Maverique

Maverique
	Meaning; Yellow: non-binary gender; White: autonomy, independence; Orange: inner conviction, maverick.
Related identities	Aporagender and Aliagender
Under the umbrella term	Nonbinary
Frequency	0.3%
	Click here to see alternative flags!

Maverique is a gender identity that falls under the nonbinary umbrella term. It is defined as an identity that is not the absence of gender, or an apathy towards gender, but a present feeling of gender. This feeling of gender is completely independent from male, female, neutral, or anything derived from any of them.^[1] However, maveriques can be multigender with their other genders being related to maleness, femaleness, or neutrality.

Maverique individuals may also identify under the nonbinary or transgender umbrella terms. However, maverique itself is a specific identity not an umbrella term.^[1]

Pronunciation[edit | edit source]

Maverique can be pronounced multiple ways:^[1]

IPA transcripton	Simple transcription
/mævˈɹik/	mav-REEK
/ˌmæv.əˈɹik/	mav-uh-REEK

Usage[edit | edit source]

In a 2017 survey of 9,932 nonbinary participants, maverique was entered as an identity word by 0.6% of participants.^[2]

Grammatical usage[edit | edit source]

The word "maverique" can be used as either a noun or adjective. For example:

[noun] The maverique is sitting over there.
[adjective] The maverique person is sitting over there.

Etymology[edit | edit source]

The term "maverique" was coined in 2014 by Vesper H. as a word to describe their own gender.^[1] It is a combination of the English word "maverick" and French suffix "ique".

"Maverick" was chosen due to its association with the unorthodox, referencing the fact that maverique as a gender is unorthodox even in regards to many nonbinary genders; due to it being unrelated to the gender binary.^[3] While the word maverick implies a conscious, rebellious unorthodoxy, being maverique itself is not a conscious choice of the maverique person, nor is it a stance against the gender binary. The suffix "-ique" means "similar to" but not identical, indicating that while unorthodox like maverick, maverique is different in that it is not a conscious stance but a inherent feature of the person. This indicates that a maverique's gender is not unorthodox by choice, nor any sort of political stance. A maverique's gender is maverick-like, but the maverique is not a maverick on the basis of their gender.^[3]

The word maverick also has connotations of independence from surroundings^[4], referencing the fact that maveriques are independent from the gender binary.

Identity overlap[edit | edit source]

A person can be solely maverique, in the same way a person can be solely a man, or solely a woman. Alternatively, someone can be both maverique and another gender (or lack of gender if for example they are genderfluid between maverique and agender). A genderfluid person may have maverique as one of their genders. A multigender person may have maverique as one of their genders. A person could be a demi-maverique if they only partially identify with being maverique.

Differences from similar genders[edit | edit source]

Third gender

Unlike third gender, anyone of any race or ethnic background can use maverique to describe themself if they feel like it fits.^[1] In addition, the term "third gender" is often used to lump together many different gender experiences from a wide variety of cultures that are considered not to fit into the Western concept of male or female, whereas "maverique" describes a singular gender.

Aporagender

Both maverique and aporagender were coined at similar times and have some overlap, however aporagender is an umbrella term while maverique is not.^[1] Additionally, aporagender can describe a gender neutral identity^[5], whereas maverique is distinct from neutrality.