Queer temporality is an emerging field within the humanities that explores how non-normative sexualities and genders challenge traditional concepts of time and age. It argues that queer individuals' experiences of time are shaped by their unique identities, desires, and lifestyles, often leading to the creation of new temporal frameworks beyond the rigid structures imposed by society. This essay will examine some ways in which queer temporality reconceptualizes aging, life milestones, and socially imposed hierarchies of time.
Queer temporality challenges ageist assumptions about what it means to grow old by highlighting the diversity of older adults who identify as LGBTQIA+. While many mainstream narratives portray older LGBTQIA+ people as either closeted or alone, queer temporality emphasizes the importance of community building, caregiving, and intergenerational relationships. Queer elders have long been active participants in queer culture and politics, contributing to social movements and fostering resilience against discrimination.
Research has shown that same-sex couples tend to form households later in life than heterosexual counterparts, suggesting that ageism may be a more significant factor in determining housing status than homophobia.
Queer temporality complicates linear notions of life milestones such as marriage, parenthood, and retirement.
Some transgender and nonbinary individuals experience gender dysphoria during puberty or midlife, calling into question the necessity or even validity of these milestones. Moreover, many queer individuals choose not to have children due to medical issues, fertility struggles, or simply because they do not want them. This approach allows for greater flexibility and self-determination in personal timelines without judgment or pressure from outside forces. Similarly, queer temporality questions whether retirement should be seen as an end point or a new beginning, potentially allowing for continued engagement in work, volunteerism, or activism beyond traditional retirement ages.
Queer temporality critiques societal assumptions about time being "wasted" when it is spent on leisure activities such as watching television or reading books. Instead, it suggests that pleasure-seeking behaviors can be empowering forms of resistance against oppressive structures of power. In this way, queer temporality encourages people to reimagine their own timelines based on their individual needs, desires, and priorities rather than conforming to social norms.
Queer temporality challenges established concepts of aging, life milestones, and time management by offering alternative perspectives shaped by marginalized experiences. Its insights provide valuable lessons for understanding the complex intersections between identity, culture, and time.
In what ways can queer temporality reconceptualize aging, life milestones, and socially imposed hierarchies of time?
Queer temporality can challenge traditional notions of aging by reframing age as a social construct rather than an absolute truth. Queer people may resist society's expectations for them based on their chronological age, instead emphasizing self-determined definitions of identity and experience. This can lead to new perspectives on life milestones, such as coming out, which may be seen as ongoing processes rather than single events.