Hete" is an abbreviation for "straight", often used in gay circles.

By "hete", gays refer to heterosexual people. A hete is therefore either a woman who likes men or a man who loves women. Accordingly, hete can be seen as the opposite of homo. As a rule, however, the term "hete" - depending on the context - is usually not an insult or denigration. With "homo" the whole thing looks a little different. Here there are (unfortunately) still many people who use the word as an insult to put other people down.

On the contrary! Many gays emphasise again and again how important it is to have a Straight as a friend. Such a relationship with each other and a corresponding view outside the box can be particularly inspiring for both. In many cases, hete and homo consult each other with regard to outfit and relationship issues and thus complement each other in a way that is sometimes very different from a typical male friendship.

However, especially in the course of the 1980s, the boundaries between straights and homos became particularly clear. In the context of Aids and the spread of the HIV virus, people here were always talking about the "gay disease". At that time, many straight people still had much more prejudices than is the case today.

And yet: despite increased transparency, both straights and homos still have to defend themselves against numerous prejudices. Yet the problems both face - especially in connection with sexuality, STDs and co. - are often similar.