Best Friends with Straight Person

[philsguy95]

Hello all, I have a little debate that's cooking between me and a couple amigos. I've known my best friend, who is straight, for four years now. We met in high school freshman year because I was creeping on his hot brother (depressing I know), and then started talking more at lunch and in the gym class we had together after I got my schedule changed. After being casual, classroom buddies for a couple years, we started getting really close junior year, and since then have been like two peas in a pod, and it feels like we get closer all the time. Whenever I have something going on, he's there for me in a heartbeat and vice versa. We talk a ton about virtually anything and we never get bored of each other. Point is, the kid's the best dude I know and I'd take a bullet for him and I love him to death, but, in spite of a crush I had on him back when we were barely friends, I find myself literally incapable of feeling any romantic interest or attachment to him deeper than BFF-ship (although I am still admittedly attracted to him, which we often joke about).

In spite of their knowledge of this friendship, some of my friends refuse to believe that I can stay best friends with him for life, as we both plan to, and that at some point I'll fall in love, akin to how people say a man and a woman can never be "just friends." So, I was wondering, since there are so many people here with different life experiences, what all of you think...

Can a gay man/woman be lifelong friends with a straight person of the same gender whom they do find attractive and obviously connect with strongly? Can it be strictly platonic and nothing more is truly desired, or is it inevitable that all of that will crumble and the gay individual will fall head over heels?

P.S. Obviously based on the above I feel strongly about this, but I'm just wondering if life experiences have led any of you to feel differently than me.