Can anticipation in queer longing become a mode of time that resists linear futurity? Queer people often experience an unusual temporal relationship to their desires, which can be understood through the lens of queer temporality. This is because they are forced to live in a world where normative heterosexual expectations do not reflect their reality. As such, they may create new modes of relating to time, such as non-linear futurity. Queer people's experiences with desire and longing are shaped by this tension between the normative and their own individual realities. Desire involves a disruption of linear time, as it cannot be predicted or controlled. Longing, however, has been theorized as a way to resist linear time and make meaning out of life. Anticipation plays a crucial role in both processes. By understanding how anticipation affects queer longing, one can better understand the temporal nature of queerness.
In order to explore these concepts, I will consider three examples: queer sexuality, intimacy, and relationships. Sexual desire involves a sense of urgency and impatience; it often appears suddenly and unexpectedly, creating an intensity that can feel uncontrollable.
Many queer people also report experiencing long periods of waiting for sex, whether due to social stigma or other factors. For them, the act itself becomes less important than the anticipation leading up to it, which takes on a special significance. In turn, this anticipation becomes part of the erotic process, adding a unique texture to their sexual encounters. Intimacy requires a different type of anticipation: an expectation of emotional connection. Many queer people experience difficulty forming deep bonds due to external pressures, but some find solace in imagining what might have been if circumstances were different. This can create a non-linear futurity where they constantly imagine alternative timelines where things could have turned out differently.
Relationships involve a combination of sexual and emotional fulfillment, which may require even more patience and persistence from queer people. Here, anticipation is used as a tool to cope with rejection and heartbreak, giving hope for future possibilities.
Queer temporality is therefore characterized by a complex interplay between linear and non-linear modes of relating to time. Queer people must navigate a world that does not always acknowledge their desires, leading them to create new ways of thinking about time. By exploring how anticipation affects these processes, we gain insight into queerness' temporal nature.
Can anticipation in queer longing become a mode of time that resists linear futurity?
Anticipation is often described as an emotion that involves the projection of oneself into future events or circumstances that may occur. In queer longing, this emotion can take on a unique form by allowing individuals to engage with their desires for connection and intimacy within a context where social norms may not fully recognize or accept them.