Liberast

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Liberast (Russian: Либераст, portmanteau of liberal and pederast) is a neologism in the Russian language. Ideological cliché, exclusively used by authors with malicious attitude to neoliberal reforms in Russia or to the methods these reforms were implemented. The word bears an overt pejorative connotation.

The neologism was introduced by a publicist Ilia Smirnov (formerly active in underground Soviet rock subculture and editor of journals Ear and UR Light), combining criticism of neoliberalism and aversion to homosexuals. The term appeared in his publications of the first half of 1990s, later compiled by the author in a book Liberasty (Либерастия).

The term is actively used in discussions, particularly on the Internet. Usually the expression is applied to liberals, and also to politicians associated with the events of 1990s Russia (Egor Gaidar, Anatoli Chubais, Boris Yeltsin and others).

Tolerast is a related term, which appeared in Russia in the beginning of the 21th century, with the popularisation of the word "tolerance".

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