Queer temporality is an approach to time that challenges traditional ways of thinking about it. In most societies, time is seen as linear and progressive, moving from past to present to future. This view assumes that there are clear beginnings and endings to things, and that events can be neatly categorized into separate periods.
Queer temporality disrupts this idea by suggesting that time is nonlinear and circular, with no clear starting point or endpoint. This approach has significant implications for moral narratives that privilege completion over continuation, which often rely on a sense of teleology or purposefulness.
One way that queer temporality subverts these narratives is by undermining the notion of progression towards a predetermined goal. Instead of seeing life as a series of steps leading towards some final destination, it encourages us to appreciate each moment for what it is, without worrying about where it fits into a larger story. This means that instead of seeing relationships as having a beginning, middle, and end, we might see them as ongoing processes that evolve over time.
Rather than focusing on whether two people have found "the one," we could focus on how they continue to grow and change together over many years.
Another way that queer temporality challenges moral narratives is by emphasizing the importance of repetition and return. In traditional narratives, repetitive behavior may be seen as boring or pointless, but in queer temporality, it can become a source of creativity and innovation. Repetition allows us to explore different variations on a theme, and to find new ways of connecting with others through familiar patterns.
If we think of a relationship as a cycle rather than a linear path, we might recognize the value of returning to past experiences and rekindling old passions.
Queer temporality also complicates notions of closure and resolution. Traditional morality often sees the end of something as the best possible outcome, whether it's the conclusion of a project or the death of a loved one. Queer temporality suggests that there are no clear-cut endings, only moments of transition and transformation. This means that we can approach loss and grief differently, recognizing that nothing truly ends and everything changes. Instead of seeking a sense of completion, we might simply embrace uncertainty and ambiguity.
Queer temporality offers a refreshing perspective on time that encourages us to appreciate the present moment and the possibilities of the future without trying to force things into neat categories. By subverting moral narratives that prioritize completion over continuation, it opens up new ways of thinking about relationships, life stages, and personal growth.
How does queer temporality subvert moral narratives that privilege completion over continuation?
Queer temporality has been shown to challenge normative notions of time and memory through its disruption of traditional linear chronology. According to scholar Sarah Ahmed (2014), this is due to the fact that queer people often experience time as "non-linear" or "non-chronological," which allows them to reimagine their lives and identities outside of conventional ideas about progress and development.