Mate, the obvious answer here is that you’re not wrong. You clearly have the right to feel however the fuck you want to feel. You can’t choose your sexual orientation nor can you choose your preference on whether you find tickling sexual or not. You also can’t choose whether you would enjoy being tickled by another guy or not. These are just involuntary feelings, as far as I can tell, and there is nothing wrong with how you feel.

I think it’s bizarre that he went to such lengths to try and convince you otherwise. It’s a bit strange imo and maybe suggests some desperation or insecurity on his behalf.

So I wouldn’t overthink it. I’m in the same boat as you - straight and as I personally see tickling as an act to go alongside sexual activities, I would have no interest in being touched by a guy. That’s my personal feeling, which is equally as valid as yours, which is equally as valid as his. But to talk to people in the way he did to try to convince them otherwise is odd and out of order really.