The base reality ("I am only sexually attracted to other men") has existed since time immemorial, the cultural conditions for expressing that reality change as the ages change.

This is no different to now, it was only in 2007 that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed there were no gays in Iran. In various nations you can survey the populace and find wildly varying amounts of homosexuality, all correlating closely with LGBT acceptance. Even now I have muslim friends who are gay and openly tell me that they intend on suppressing their desires for their entire life so as to provide a family and not disappoint their parents.