Many people often consider time to be linear and progressive; however, the concept of queer temporalities challenges this assumption. Queer temporalities refer to non-binary conceptions of time that are informed by LGBTQIA+ identities, experiences, and cultural practices. These temporalities can range from cyclical to multidirectional, from kairotic to transitional, and from discontinuous to anarchic. They may also include unconventional rhythms such as those found in drag performance and ball culture. The way that people perceive and experience time can have profound implications for how they construct their life stories, remember past events, and imagine future possibilities. In this essay, I will explore the ways in which queer temporality affects narrative construction, memory, and anticipatory imagination in shaping meaningful life stories.
Narrative Construction
Narratives play a crucial role in shaping individual and collective identities. For many people, stories serve as a means of making sense of their lives, understanding their place in the world, and connecting with others.
Traditional narratives often privilege heteronormativity and cisnormativity, reducing LGBTQIA+ experiences to deviations or aberrations from the norm. Queer temporalities, by contrast, offer alternative frameworks for narrative construction that highlight the complexity and richness of queer lives. By embracing non-linear, non-progressive, and non-hierarchical conceptions of time, queer individuals can challenge dominant narratives and craft new stories that reflect their unique perspectives and lived experiences.
Many queer individuals draw on cyclical and circular concepts of time to tell stories about their sexuality and relationships. Instead of viewing these experiences as linear journeys towards a fixed destination, they emphasize the interconnectedness of past, present, and future moments, seeing them as part of an ongoing cycle of growth and transformation. This approach allows them to embrace the fluidity and multiplicity of their identities, acknowledging both continuity and change over time. They may also use repetition, recurrence, and recursion to create layers of meaning within their stories, drawing attention to patterns and connections across different periods of their lives.
Memory
Queer temporalities can also affect how we remember and recall past events. Traditional memory research has largely focused on linear models that assume a linear progression from the past through the present to the future, with each event being stored in a specific location in the brain. These models have been challenged by recent studies showing that memories are not static but rather dynamic and malleable, constantly shifting and changing over time. Queer temporalities offer another perspective, suggesting that memories are subject to multiple temporalities and that people may remember the same event differently depending on their current context and orientation.
Some queer individuals may reconstruct their childhood memories using multidirectional or discontinuous temporalities, incorporating elements from different eras into a single memory. They may also reframe traumatic experiences using kairotic temporality, focusing on the moment of crisis or rupture instead of its immediate aftermath. This approach allows them to explore the complexities of their emotional responses and reflect on the ways in which their lived experiences have shaped their identity.
Anticipatory Imagination
Queer temporalities can influence anticipatory imagination, helping us imagine possible futures for ourselves and our communities. Anticipation is often seen as an extension of memory, with predictions based on past experiences and expectations about the future.
Queer temporalities invite us to consider alternative possibilities outside of traditional frameworks.
Drag performers use transitional temporality to envision new identities and performances that challenge gender norms and expand our understanding of what is possible. Anarchic temporality, meanwhile, encourages us to reject fixed temporal structures and embrace chaos and uncertainty, creating space for radical visions of liberation and transformation.
Queer temporalities play a vital role in shaping how we construct life stories, recall memories, and imagine potential futures. By embracing non-linear, non-progressive, and non-hierarchical concepts of time, we can craft narratives that acknowledge the complexity and richness of queer lives, remember past events in more nuanced ways, and imagine new possibilities for our collective futures.
How does queer temporality affect narrative construction, memory, and anticipatory imagination in shaping meaningful life stories?
Queer temporalities are distinct from the mainstream linear sense of time. Queer temporalities can be understood as nonlinear, cyclical, or multidimensional rather than progressing chronologically. This is particularly relevant when thinking about how people create their life stories through memory and anticipation. In this context, queer temporalities may challenge traditional notions of identity and representation by disrupting the narrative structure that prioritizes heteronormative timelines.