I find some labels helpful and other labels restrictive.  I don't think anyone should ever be forced into a label--they should choose how to label themselves, if they even want to.  I like my INFJ label because it makes it really easy to communicate my personality to people.  On the other hand, while I personally felt relieved to discover the demisexual label ("oh my goodness, I'm not the only one who feels this way!") last year, it doesn't do much for me regarding explaining myself to other people because hardly anybody knows what it means (so I just tell most people I'm heterosexual because I got by with that label for most of my life just fine--it's still accurate, I just get attracted to way fewer men than your average heterosexual woman does).  I identify with a lot of things I've seen asexual persons express, but I can see how it might feel restrictive.  My understanding right now is that an asexual person can still be in love and be romantically attracted to other people, they just lack desire for sex with that person.  I have a friend who is asexual but still dates like any other person.  She likes handsome guys, but she doesn't want sex.  There are a lot of people like that out there.  I hope you will figure out what is right for YOU and not worry TOO much about what to call it.  Do what makes you happy, then figure out the rest.  

Anyway, that was a bit of a tangent and I apologize, I was kinda thinking about the question for this poll and what you said in your piece (I read it but I'm commenting here first because I saw the poll first).  Basically, yes, labels CAN be restrictive, but it depends on the label, the person it's being applied to, and why it's being applied.

I've been thinking about writing something about labels, actually.  It's a subject that has been chilling in the back of my mind for a while now.