Romance ≠ Friendship

I’ve been told that if I want a romantic relationship but without sex, then what I actually want is just a friendship. And honestly, that take doesn’t make sense to me

I deeply value my friendships. They’re incredibly important to me. But no matter how close I am with a friend, I wouldn’t want to kiss them or go on romantic dates. Romance and friendship are both meaningful, but they aren’t the same

So why do people act like a romantic relationship without sex is just friendship?

What’s your take on this? Has anyone said this to you?