I came out in stages as my sexuality changed, starting in high school when I somewhat discreetly came out as bi, and now more openly as someone who has had a number of queer relationships. My mother asked me last week if I'm "still gay". Yeah, pretty sure I am. But some people are still preoccupied with stigmas that even my generation was raised with.
When did OP come out?
My timing might be off because I had to do it four times (my adoptive mother is Andaman and they believe strongly in the idea of large traditional families), but I came out as asexual when I was I think eight. I discovered it because my older friends had discovered it recently and we talked it over. My adoptive mother eventually accepted it, but not without long discussions about the future, sexuality, romanticism, masking, phases, neurodivergence, and the difference between libidoist asexuality and non-libidoist asexuality, confusions that still arise. My six older siblings all follow my adoptive mother's vision of large traditional families, and being childless, I imagine it may have seemed like I wanted to break the chain and hide in their shadow.