Thorns

If it was the categories that was the problem, sure. But it's heteronormativity, gendernormativity, and their related privileges that are the problem -- the injustices, after all, do pre-date the categories (let alone the construction of orientation as identities). These categories serve as a kludgy but useful tool for discussing and opposing those norms and privileges; if you throw the categories out, we're back to where we were in the thirties with the crap still happening, but without language for calling out the crap. That privileged people tend to screw things up when they haven't been educated is hardly a reason to throw it all out; the categories were instituted because privileged people tend to screw things up when they haven't been educated, and the categories provides a tool for (among other things) doing the education.