Not sure whether I can pursue this friendship - would it be emotionally cheating?

Been with my boyfriend almost two years, and about a year met a guy through my work. Me + this guy are both trying to break into a similar industry, and are both starting to get somewhere with it. We have talked occasionally via email, but didn't actually meet face to face, just the two of us until last week. Basically, I told my boyfriend about an event I was really excited about going to and instead of offering to potentially come with me, he said he might be travelling at that point (he travels with his passion/hobby), so couldn't say yes. I was disappointed but this happens sometimes. I then mentioned the same event in the passing to my friend (in a just discussing what we're getting upto sort of way) and he immediately asked if he could with me. I was a bit thrown off, but said okay. Now a few days before I met my male friend at this event, me and my boyfriend started having a political discussion and I was telling him my thoughts/feelings on a particular issue. Not in an obnoxious 'My opinion is the only one that matters' sort of way, as can often happen - just that it's something I'm interested in, and like to discuss occasionally. I said there was an event coming up connected with this and he said 'no I don't think I'd be comfortable coming, because I'm not sure I believe in all that.' Then he said 'I don't think we should talk about this topic right now' and 'it could just lead to a fight'. This would be understandable if we had fallen out over it before, but we never have - and I love to hear his points of view even though I know they can be different from my own. It makes things exciting! Anyway...when he said that stuff, I felt deflated and shut down by him. Although in the end, he would come with me anyway (just to appease me no doubt). Cue the night that I was meeting my friend at the event my boyfriend didn't commit to - turned out boyfriend wasn't travelling after all, so could've come. I told him he was quite welcome to join us, but he declined the offer. Once I met my male friend, we got talking about all sorts including politics and discovered we have very similar views - and of course, on cue, he said he'd be really interested in coming to the event I had mentioned. I feel a great sense of familiarity with this guy - not the butterflies/spark I get with my boyfriend, but just enjoy having stuff in common. Sometimes I wish my boyfriend would be more up for doing things with me, but then I got to thinking - what's the point in making my boyfriend come to things he has no interest in? Surely if this new friend expresses interest in particular events it should be okay to do things with him sometimes?

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