Maricón

This page is about the slur as a reclaimed identity, not as a slur itself. If this word is triggering to you, please be cautious about viewing this page.

Maricón is a Spanish slur most commonly used against effeminate men in general (whether they are LGBTQIA+ or not) and transfeminine individuals, though it has also been used to refer to many other queer individuals regardless of their identity. It is similar to "f*g" and "p*ssy" in English, and as such, has been reclaimed by some of its targets.

Other variants include: marica, marika, marico, maraco, amariconado, maricona, maraca (for men and women), mariquita or mariquinha and maricão (Portuguese).

Etymology
Maricón derives from the name María, a symbol of women and a frequent female name in 16th century Spain, the time and place in which the term originated. Marica, originally supposed to be the diminutive of the previously mentioned name, caught the same connotation.

History & Revindication
In an important sector of the gay community, at least in Spain, this word is used among some queer individuals themselves without any pejorative burden. Many carry out a reappropriation or claim of maricón and other terms with similar connotations, similar to what was done among anglophones regarding the word queer.

It's important to remark that not every LGBT+ man is comfortable with this term, as it can carry trauma with it. It shouldn't be used as an umbrella term unless specified that it's okay with the person you are referring to.

Flag
A flag was created by Tumblr user beyond-mogai-pride-flags on June 30, 2021. It has five stripes: a royal pink stripe, a cyanish black stripe, a greyed indigo stripe, a reddish golden white stripe, and an aubergine yellow stripe. On the simplified flag, the stripes have been made to be equal in size.

Another flag was proposed by Fandom user TanukiStar on August 6, 2021. The colors are based on the colors of the wings of Eurasian magpies, who coincidentally can also be called "maricas" in Spanish. The green at the center is a very particular tone of green, called "carnation green," which is related to the historical gay community.