The concept of queer temporality is an emerging field within critical theory that seeks to explore how non-heteronormative temporalities can challenge and redefine our understanding of time itself. Queer temporality encompasses all ways of being outside of heterosexual normativity, including but not limited to LGBTQ+ identities, intersex people, and transgender individuals. This field aims to examine how these experiences shape one's sense of self and relationships with others across space and time. One aspect of queer temporality that has been studied extensively is its impact on morality. Specifically, queer temporality transforms the moral meaning of waiting, longing, and becoming by challenging traditional values surrounding desire and fulfillment. In this article, I will discuss how queer temporality challenges normative conceptions of time and provides new perspectives on how we should approach ethical questions related to waiting, longing, and becoming.
Waiting
Waiting is a fundamental part of human experience, as it involves anticipating future events or circumstances while remaining in the present moment. Traditionally, waiting has been seen as a passive act requiring patience and discipline.
Queer temporality offers alternative interpretations of waiting that disrupt dominant narratives about power dynamics between individuals who are waiting for something or someone.
Instead of viewing waiting as a subordinate position to another person or situation, queer temporality suggests that waiting can be a form of resistance against oppressive structures of power. In this sense, waiting becomes an active process wherein one takes control over their own desires rather than submitting them to external forces. This interpretation shifts the moral implications of waiting from passivity to agency.
Longing
Longing refers to the yearning or craving for something or someone that one does not have but desires deeply. Traditional understandings of longing often emphasize the importance of fulfillment at the end of the journey - when one finally obtains what they long for. Queer temporality, however, challenges this notion by suggesting that longing itself can be a source of pleasure and satisfaction. Instead of seeing longing as a means to an end, queer temporality sees it as an end unto itself, creating meaningful experiences through sustained desire without necessarily leading to gratification. This perspective can challenge traditional ideas about sexuality and intimacy, which often prioritize physical expression over emotional connection. By redefining longing in this way, queer temporality encourages us to see longing as a form of liberation rather than frustration or disappointment.
Becoming
Becoming is the process of developing into something new or different over time. Traditionally, becoming has been associated with progress and growth towards a predetermined goal or destination.
Queer temporality challenges this linear understanding of development by emphasizing the fluidity of identity and self-expression. In this view, becoming is not simply a matter of reaching a fixed endpoint but rather a continuous exploration of possibilities within oneself and others. The morality of becoming thus becomes less about achieving perfection or completion and more about embracing complexity and ambiguity. This interpretation opens up opportunities for new ways of relating to ourselves and others outside of conventional norms around gender, race, ability, age, and so on.
Queer temporality provides unique insights into how we conceptualize waiting, longing, and becoming. These concepts are usually understood through heteronormative lenses that privilege traditional values such as patience, fulfillment, and progression. Queer temporality disrupts these assumptions by offering alternative interpretations that prioritize agency, pleasure, and complexity. As such, it offers valuable perspectives on ethical questions related to desire and intimacy that can inform our everyday lives and relationships.
How does queer temporality transform the moral meaning of waiting, longing, and becoming?
Queer temporality challenges traditional notions of time by disrupting linearity, fragmentation, and heteronormativity. It encourages fluidity, nonbinary thinking, and unconventional narratives. Queer temporality's transgressive nature can create an experience of waiting, longing, and becoming that is less linear and more cyclical.