I asked a few people what they thought I should write about, and got a handful of useful suggestions - I think my favourite was "Parking Lot BDSM 101". Ash suggested the idea of coming out as asexual to your significant others, which - honestly - I dismissed because it sounded too... Stressful to try and write about for today. Totally unrelatedly, I was watching videos put up by a girl from Paris I've recently started following on Tumblr & Blogger who goes by Antastesia (it's not clear to me if it's her real name or a screen name, but for my purposes it doesn't matter). I started going back through her videos on YouTube, and that led me down the rabbit-hole of following "related videos" links...
Coming out as asexual can all too easily end up generating a lot of stress for you, as well. There are so many responses that can be insulting and frustrating... "Is it because you were raped/sexually abused?" or "You didn't like it? Oh, everyone feels that way the first time..." or "Oh, that'll pass" or "Once you've met the right person you'll forget that silly idea." Asexuality still has so little exposure and support that most people just interpret it as a phase or reaction to something else... Not as a state of being or sexual orientation by itself.
The lack of support can really make the entire possibility of coming out as asexual terrifying, and the funny thing is it's almost the opposite of the problems you hit with being LGBT. If you come out as LGBT, people typically believe you're being straightforward and just disagree with your nature (or "choice"), with all the stress and problems and arguments that entails; if you come out as asexual they're far more likely to simply think you're *wrong*. Most people, even the ones who object to it, don't think of being gay as a problem to be fixed, like a medical or psychological condition - they see it as a choice or a mental state. Asexuality is more often seen as a condition - and while they may sympathize, they don't support it.
Depending on the context, though, it can be more than that - and it can be a nasty shock to someone. The worst example here is, of course, a boyfriend or girlfriend; a significant other who thinks they're in a sexual relationship (at some point, at least) may be anywhere between upset, offended, or angry that you're "doing this to them"... And it's not entirely unjustified. If it's sprung on a boyfriend or girlfriend, it's entirely possible you'll be dumped. Even family members can react very badly; after all, declaring yourself as asexual is tantamount to announcing you'll never have children or continue the family.
Asexuals have relationships - after all, asexual is not the same as aromantic. The relationships are just different enough that the average person probably won't be comfortable in them.
So is it worth actually going through the process of coming out to someone? In a lot of cases, no. Who are you thinking about coming out to? Is it someone who's affected by it? Is it someone who you'd normally discuss your sex life with? It simple isn't most peoples' business; and while it will greatly affect your relationships, like anything else in the realm - kinks, medical conditions, or anything else that may change your sex life - it's not necessarily first date material, may not be appropriate for work, and - for the most part - certainly isn't something you announce to random folks on the street. Consider carefully before taking the risk of stepping out and talking about it.
I leave you with the following links to my favourite of the YouTube videos I browsed through. Hopefully some of them will be valuable to you as well as to me!
Fear of Sex:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eLvhS7Q-dg&index=14&list=UUDPxVSjvT-KyQhAetmYTWcg
Asexuality FAQ:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrwjMjoJU30&index=26&list=UUDPxVSjvT-KyQhAetmYTWcg
My Sexuality/Asexuality
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3VCjgVm7_8&index=61&list=UUDPxVSjvT-KyQhAetmYTWcg
Coming Out as an Asexual
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QNz1J3PJ6k
Interesting "Coming Out as Asexual" stories
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dqSedHtn1A
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