what does it mean when a guy says he doesn’t want to date?

It means he's not looking to date at the moment with anyone. Continue to be his friend and in time when he's ready he may change his mind.

It's always good if ones able to see a persons past Q's to ascertain a netter understanding of where they're coming from. It ward appear that you're extremely young and somewhat very frustrated by the opposite sex and how to interact with them or read their body language. Embarking on dating nowadays is like trying to walk a tightrope while blindfolded, extremely frightening and best ignored for as long as possible, despite coming into puberty. The realizations that someone isn't not attracted to us nowadays appears to impact far greater than it did even 10 years ago. Society has changed the way we receive rejection and viewed what used to be called fancying someone, but it wasn't as though our life depended on them feeling the same way to a point whereby we hold on to those feelings forever and a day. Worldwide the people appear to believe they're far more diverse than they actually are by dating people that apparently don't quite actually make their heart skip a beat, but more in the neather regions sadly. Sadly rejection makes both sex's accept opportunities they might never have in the 1st instincts but desperation kicks in once, hence, we make such bad choices due to lacking self esteem caused by continually reject. This also causes us to view ourselves as ugly, even if there's nothing entirely wrong with how we look, whether of a large-build/curvy/medium/skinny/tall/short there's a place for us all in society, despite sadly coming in cycles making some of us redundant at times. Getting a gf/bf isn't always classed as winner as invariably until we meet our perspective spouse/partner we all have to go through a lot of hardship and abuse sadly. Being told we're beautiful and the best thing that ever happened to me and then dumped without any real warning other than it's not you it's me, only to find out they're now attracted to someone else. Self-doubt suddenly becomes our best-friend as our world comes crashing down around us. Some of us become so desperate we date anything with a pulse, lol, in order to attempt to restore our lack-of-self-esteem. We accept certain offers as a possible way to win someone's heart such as fwb/hook-ups and many other ways in an attempt to become that strongminded person we once were before we got our heart broken. Never gonna happen for all of us sadly. The average person spends 17 years in the wrong relationship. Ouch that got to hurt! We edge our bets on "The big confession" as you did with this boy. Although we know deep down we could very well be rejected, we still believe, it's never gonna happen to me. There are no real indicators as to what is the right or wrong thing that could be said to you if you don't hear the words, I feel the same way too. We rack our brains ascertain the conundrum that's just been thrown into play when it should have just have been a simple formality. So, after consultation with our friends and peers to ascertain s/he's meaning we google it, and if all else fails we post it on sites like these. Do we ever really get the answer we're looking for despite many similarities to any Q's asked? Whatever the case maybe, you're going to have to pick yourself up and dust yourself off and wait for the next brain freeze when it happens yet again and again and again, sadly. Probably not what you wanted to hear but I there's no point in lying to you. I wish you the very best of luck.

Only he really knows. The only way to find out is to see if he ends up going out with someone else in the near future. Actions speak louder than words.

he is gay.............................

I have no idea what he's thinking and i can't read his mind from here (or at all). It means what he said -he's not going to date you. Not sure why you have to dissect it

Or he could be gay.

At the very least it means he's not trying to date you. So accept that and move on.

Sounds like it is both. Not an "either or" but a both. The quote was concise and clear. No need to try to find a hidden meaning in it.

I'll be blunt with you, he's not interested. If he was, he wouldn't let you get away. Many men (and women) are not ready to date until they meet the one they want to. Pretty simple.

Sorry to break this to you. But know what's worse? Dating someone who you know isn't really into you and is distant. That's much worse.

I think it means both: he's not interested and he doesn't want to date you.