That’s kinda why it took me so long to figure out I’m bi. Growing up I was told homosexuality was rare and bisexuality was not mentioned, I figured since I was a boy and I liked girls that I was straight and didn’t really examine it further for years. When I found out about bisexuality later I was jealous because it’s the best of both worlds, which in hindsight should have been a clue but I got there eventually
It was basically the same for me. Very late bi-bloomer due to adolescence in the incredibly homophobic 1990s. As you say, the word bisexuality was just not said in popular culture. I liked girls, therefore I was straight, right?
But the signs were there. How many 12-year-old boys have “Rocky Horror Picture Show” as their favourite movie? I wasn’t obsessing over Brad because I thought he was hot, I just admired him for becoming adventurous. I didn’t do everything I could to get out of gym classes for high school because I was afraid of going into a panic in a locker room full of cute boys not wearing much, I was just not interested in sports.
I was very good at rationalizations.
Well, better late than never! Covid taught me to not put things off. I’m making up for lost time now. Not in a slutty way, but definitely in a more adventurous way.