Hi Canary,
Straight male here. I don't personally know any male late-bloomers, but I can sympathize with why a man would have higher denial than a woman would. I think society is generally more accepting of female homosexuality than male homosexuality. We have been normalized to seeing straight women kiss each other on the cheek, but this would seem more culturally inappropriate (in the U.S. anyway) for straight men. With the exception of the old Italian mafia, anyway...

He could very well be in denial. If that's the case, he isn't exactly lying; he is telling the truth as he understands it, although his own understanding could be off target. I try to give people the benefit of the doubt. Maybe I'm too optimistic.

Your post is several months old and I hope your negative feelings have subsided a bit.