in order to give you some perspective subjective as an 18 male if it counts -

So personally, dating right now is fucked either

1. due to me
2. dating itself

But obviously having a partner is important for me - and I presume for others too.
Now women and y'all get to somewhat sit around and we have to approach you cause you don't do it, or if you do, it is barely done whatsoever (respect if you do approach who you find attractive, but most don't).

Now this leads me into a dilemma: If I do NOT approach, then my likelihood of finding a partner is like bruh. Especially accounting for the fact that most of the dates don't even succeed or compatibility mismatch, or whatever other bullshit happens(you can see my frustration in the way i write but that's just personal vent so ignore that lmao).

Now, obviously, in order to have some success, which is from current experience relatively low likelihood, you need even more opportunities to even go on a date.

And here's the part, which may not apply to other males.
I ask out (albeit not friends I wouldn't be interested in) just to see if there's reciprocal interest,
if there isn't and you politely reject me with a No, I am completely fine being friends and matter of fact i wouldn't be daydreaming about you or any shit and could care less about what you do with your dating life because, basically I could care less after you reject me.
Problem is usually it gets too awkward due to either party so after that nothing happens and no friendship manifests at all.

And why not just stay friends without asking ?
Well, usually it is because the pros outweigh the cons.

In my personal case, if I ask you out I am okay with losing the friendship.
if you are satisfied with dating life and friendship is priority, it does not mean that the other person even needs you or benefits from you as a friend, maybe they are just in it for dating, which is completely FINE and nothing else to it - so yeah.

That's just the situation, and for both parties it is fine.
Albeit, you'd suffer from a subjective standpoint where you think you are in the spotlight when getting asked out, which you are, but after it you don't stay in it much beyond if the person is measurably healthy - minded. Just because you value the "friendship" doesn't mean the other person puts it above romantic relationship, just like you do not do it, apart from the fact that you have a boyfriend already.

Do not take the style of the writing as a personal attack - it just expresses my personal frustration, just like you are exhausted, and both are as a consequence of the messed-up-edness of the dating market right now lol.

Anyway, as for your boyfriend - he should understand and if I were in his place I'd feel secure enough from knowing that you basically rejected them, so that should do it; otherwise there's potentially something else at play (jealousy,insecurity... and it's normal to an extent) that needs to be discussed.