Queer temporality has been defined as "the temporalities that emerge through the experience of living in bodies that are coded outside of heterosexual normativity" (Brown et al., 2016, p. 8). It refers to the unique ways in which non-normative identities, including but not limited to LGBTQ+ people, experience and understand time in relation to their queerness. Queer temporality challenges traditional linear narratives of life, ethical progression, and the moral significance of chronological time. This disruption can have significant implications for individuals' sense of self, identity formation, and social interactions.
One way in which queer temporality challenges linear narratives is through its disruption of prescribed gender roles. Traditionally, gender has been understood as a binary between male and female, with each role having specific expectations and timelines for development.
Queer temporality rejects this dichotomy, allowing for more fluid and nuanced understandings of gender and its relationship to time.
Some transgender people may choose to transition later in life, while others may identify as nonbinary or genderqueer from birth. These experiences challenge the notion that there is a set timeline for developing one's gender, leading to an understanding of gender as a continuous process rather than a fixed state.
Another way in which queer temporality challenges linear narratives is through its rejection of rigid age hierarchies. In many societies, age is seen as synonymous with wisdom and authority, with older adults holding positions of power over younger generations. Queer temporality questions this hierarchy by highlighting the diversity of lived experiences within each generation and recognizing the value of intergenerational collaboration and exchange. This approach challenges the idea that time must be viewed solely through the lens of progress, suggesting instead that we should recognize the complexity and multi-dimensionality of temporal experience.
Queer temporality also challenges traditional ethical progression models, which often rely on a linear conception of moral development. Linear morality assumes that individuals progress towards greater goodness and virtue over time, gradually shedding negative behaviors and attitudes.
Queer temporality recognizes that moral development can occur simultaneously at different points in one's life, without necessarily following a clear trajectory.
Someone who comes out late in life may have already developed strong ethical values before their sexual identity becomes known, disrupting any assumed connection between timing and moral development.
Queer temporality challenges the moral significance of chronological time by questioning the idea that time equals progress. Rather than assuming that history always moves in one direction, queer temporality acknowledges that there are multiple temporalities coexisting, each with their own unique perspective and historical weight. This approach rejects the notion that all times are equal and allows for a more nuanced understanding of how past, present, and future intersect and influence each other.
Queer temporality disrupts linear narratives of life, ethical progression, and the moral significance of chronological time. By challenging rigid gender roles, age hierarchies, and moral progressions, it opens up new possibilities for understanding our relationship to time and its complexities. Through this reimagining of time, queer temporality provides valuable insights into the intersections of social identities, personal experiences, and collective histories.
In what ways does queer temporality disrupt linear narratives of life, ethical progression, and the moral significance of chronological time?
Queer temporalities refer to the nonlinear and unconventional patterns that individuals experience when it comes to their perception of time, which can be influenced by factors such as sexual orientation, gender identity, race, class, age, and ability. Queer temporalities challenge traditional notions of progress and linearity, as they reject the idea that there is only one way to structure time or that progress is always positive or linear.