I might also ask if the friend from whom you heard this is an USn. If so, you should consider that the term Liberal in the US has taken on something of a bad flavor due to its conversion into a word of invective by those who refer to themselves as Conservatives. And its main meaning among USns takes the idea of broad-minded and non-judgemental to mean lax in morals and willing to let society go to pot in the name of moral relativism. This under the influence of those who have twisted the derfinition to their own ends.