lavender scare
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
The fear and persecution of homosexuals in the 1950s in the United States.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “lavender scare” mean?
The fear and persecution of homosexuals in the 1950s in the United States.
Is “lavender scare” formal or informal?
lavender scare is generally slang.