sad and anxious about how to move forward [22m]

Hi everyone - I'm a 22 y/o male who hopes to meet some new guys now that I've graduated and will be settling into a new job, city, and way of life. I'm a pretty confident person, generally, but I have one major anxiety about any future dates: how to navigate the topic of sex without being overly forward.What inspired me to write this, actually, was a conversation I just had with a guy (not a romantic conquest, an acquaintance) who was mentioning to me his sexual preferences and that he had just bottomed the night before. He then went on to describe what he is looking for in a partner and how he wants his relationships to be balanced and equitable -- that is, that both partners are versatile. Anyway, as he went on about his anal sex habits, I became increasingly saddened, because I had little to contribute. He reminded me of the big elephant in the room whenever I meet guys or am among gay men in social settings.I despise anal sex. I find both topping and bottoming horrible. I was fortunate enough to be in a good thing with a guy for a few years and was able to fully explore and determine this for a fact. What I fear now, however, is that my disliking anal will basically make me a pariah as I look for someone to date. On top (heh) of this is the fact that I refuse to have an open relationship, so it's not like I will let my partner indulge in anal on the side.Anyway, I was wondering how I should proceed with this when going on dates with guys. Should I just feel out our conversations and decide when to drop this bomb on them? I just feel so awkward mentioning it, but I know that I must say it sooner rather than later so I don't waste my time (and theirs). I already feel like an outcast in the gay community for a lot of reasons, and this only makes matters worse for me!