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gay lib

gay lib

7.9
A movement that fights for the rights of people attracted to the same sex
  • noun
  • /ɡeɪ lɪb/
  • Archaic
translation icon : liberación gay
  • Many activists marched in support of gay lib and campaigned for equal rights.

Examples

  • The gay lib movement transformed public attitudes toward homosexuality in the 1970s.

  • Early gay lib meetings were often met with both enthusiasm and fierce opposition.

  • The gay lib movement has made significant progress over the years.

  • Many activists support gay lib initiatives.

  • The "gay lib" movement has made significant strides in advocating for equal rights for homosexual individuals.

  • During the rally, many speakers highlighted the achievements of the "gay lib" movement over the past decade.

  • Activists from the "gay lib" community gathered to discuss ongoing issues related to discrimination and inequality.

Synonyms

1 3.9

A campaign to get equal rights for gay people

focuses on achieving freedom from oppression rather than formal legal equality

Antonyms

discrimination
  • Offensive
535 3.5

Unfair treatment of people because of their race, age, or sex

120 5.5

A cruel use of power to control and hurt people

Surface Forms

gay lib singular
gay libs plural

Morphology

gay + lib

The parts 'gay' + 'lib' do signal a connection to gay people and political/liberation ideas, so a learner will get a general topical clue, but the specific historical sense 'gay liberation movement' is not transparently derivable. The element 'lib' is ambiguous (could be read as 'liberal' person or as clipped 'liberation') and this ambiguity makes the exact meaning unpredictable without prior exposure.

Etymology

Gay lib is short for gay liberation, which began when gay people in the 1960s and 1970s gathered in big protests to demand equal 'rights' and more 'freedom'. So, gay lib means the movement for social and legal freedom for gay people.