What are queer temporalities? Queer temporalities refer to ways of conceptualizing time that depart from the linear model of past, present, future and instead explore nonlinear, recursive, circular, and multi-temporal models. These alternative frameworks often challenge the dominant Western narrative of progress and development, while also incorporating the fluidity and complexity of lived experiences. Queer temporalities offer valuable insights into the way people experience and understand their lives across different contexts, including life transitions, identity evolution, and temporal experience. In this article, we will explore how queer temporalities can be applied to understanding life transitions, identity evolution, and temporal experience.
Life Transitions:
Queer temporalities offer unique perspectives on life transitions such as birth, death, marriage, divorce, career changes, retirement, and aging. Unlike linear models that prioritize a clear beginning and end point for each transition, queer temporalities emphasize the interconnectedness of these events within a broader lifespan.
The birth of a child may be seen as both an ending of one phase of life and a new beginning, rather than simply a discrete event in the past. Similarly, the loss of a loved one is not simply an end but a continuation of shared memories and relationships. By expanding our view of transitions beyond binary categories like before/after or good/bad, we can better appreciate the complex emotions and experiences involved.
Identity Evolution:
Queer temporalities provide a more nuanced view of identity evolution that recognizes the influence of social, political, economic, and cultural forces on individual identities. Identity is not static but evolves over time, influenced by shifting values, norms, and beliefs.
Gender identity may change throughout a person's lifetime due to personal growth, societal pressures, or medical interventions. Rather than seeing identity as fixed or permanent, queer temporalities allow us to recognize the fluidity and complexity of human experience. This perspective can lead to greater empathy and understanding between individuals with different backgrounds and worldviews.
Temporal Experience:
Queer temporalities highlight the role of time in shaping human experience and perception. In traditional linear models, time is viewed as a linear progression from past to present to future, with no going back or looping around. Queer temporalities challenge this assumption by exploring circular, recursive, and multi-temporal modes of existence. These alternative frameworks emphasize the importance of memory, ritual, repetition, and cyclicality in creating meaningful lives. They also encourage a deeper engagement with the present moment, rather than always looking toward the future.
Queer temporalities offer valuable insights into life transitions, identity evolution, and temporal experience. By expanding our view of time beyond linear narratives, they invite us to explore the complex and multifaceted nature of human experience. As we continue to grapple with these topics, queer temporalities provide a useful framework for understanding ourselves and others.
How can queer temporalities offer frameworks for understanding life transitions, identity evolution, and temporal experience?
Queer temporalities have been widely used as a framework to understand the complexities of time that emerge from non-normative identities, experiences, and practices within the Western world. The concept was originally developed by Elizabeth Freeman and Susan Stanford Friedman (1994), who argued that traditional linear, monolithic notions of time do not adequately represent the lived realities of marginalized communities.