Queer temporalities are those that challenge traditional understandings of time and space, particularly as they relate to gender and sexuality. They involve the creation of new forms of subjectivity and relationship based on non-normative concepts such as fluid identities, transgressive desires, and alternative modes of communication. Queer temporality challenges the assumption that there is a linear progression from birth to death, from childhood to adulthood, and from one generation to the next. It also interrogates social expectations around marriage, family life, and ageing. In this article, I will explore how queer temporalities question the normative order of things and offer new ways of thinking about time and identity.
Conceptualizing Temporality
It is important to define what we mean by 'temporality'. Temporality refers to our sense of time - how we experience, conceptualize, and make meaning of time. It encompasses both the passage of time and its perception by individuals, groups, or cultures. As historian Jonathan Crary notes, "Temporalization refers to a set of practices through which human beings come to apprehend and shape their existence within a given context." In other words, temporalities are the structures through which we organize and give meaning to our experiences of time.
Challenging Linear Time
One key way in which queer temporality challenges conventional understandings of time is by disrupting the idea of linear time. Linear time assumes that time moves in a straight line, with past events leading to present ones and future ones waiting ahead.
Queer temporalities suggest that time is nonlinear and cyclical, with events looping back on themselves and replaying themselves over again. This can be seen in the work of filmmaker Chris Marker, who created a film called La Jetée based on a series of still photographs. The narrative follows the story of a man living in a post-apocalyptic world who travels back in time to meet his lost love. The film's use of still images and repeated motifs creates a sense of circularity rather than linearity, suggesting that time does not move forward but loops back on itself.
Non-normative Identities
Another way in which queer temporality challenges traditional life narratives is through the creation of new forms of subjectivity and identity. Queer identities often involve fluidity and the refusal to fit into rigid categories such as 'man', 'woman', or 'straight'. Queer individuals may choose to adopt multiple identities throughout their lives or shift between them depending on circumstances.
Some transgender people may identify as male at one point and female at another, while others may reject binary gender altogether. This refusal to be contained within a single identity or set of expectations challenges the assumption that there are clear paths from birth to death and from childhood to adulthood.
Alternative Communication
Queer temporalities also challenge conventional modes of communication by creating alternative ways of relating to each other. This can include using different languages or codes, playing with power dynamics, or engaging in non-verbal gestures. Some examples include drag culture, where performers create elaborate personas that challenge gender norms, or BDSM communities, where consenting adults explore power dynamics through sexual play. These practices challenge the idea that communication must take place through words alone and suggest that different modes of interaction can be equally valid and meaningful.
Interrogating Family Life
Queer temporalities interrogate social expectations around family life, particularly as they relate to marriage and parenthood. Traditional family structures assume that a man and woman will marry and have children, with the wife staying home to care for the family while the husband earns income.
This model does not account for same-sex couples, non-binary relationships, or polyamorous arrangements. Queer temporalities question why we should adhere to these models and suggest that families can be formed in many different ways, without strict rules or expectations.
Queer temporalities offer new ways of thinking about time, identity, and relationship. By disrupting linearity, fluidifying identities, reimagining communication, and interrogating family life, they challenge traditional understandings of what it means to live well and fulfill our social obligations. As such, they open up exciting possibilities for exploring how we might experience time differently and construct more inclusive forms of intimacy.
In what ways does queer temporality challenge the assumptions underlying conventional life narratives, social expectations, and generational ethics?
Queer temporality challenges the conventional life narrative by disrupting the linear progression of time that is commonly understood as consisting of childhood, adolescence, maturity, and old age. Instead, it embraces fluidity, non-binary identities, and multi-dimensional approaches to personal development.