Queer futuring: transformational transcendence

This chapter explores fundamental questions about how to facilitate people’s abilities to think about the future. Extending queer theory, ecological thinking and theories about adult learning, the process of “queer futuring” is explored to address the guiding questions: 1. How can we facilitate people’s abilities to embrace alternative and creative futures’ possibilities? And 2. How can we disrupt and (re)create desirable futures that do not reify or reflect dominant culture and perspectives? Queer futuring extends the dialectical foundations of queer theory to “seed” the recursive process of embracing the unknown and creating more equitable and just futures. And queer futuring, as explored in this chapter, is a futuring process that maintains a focus on the political and ethical dimensions of queer activism. This chapter thus builds upon queer theory, using as a model Lorenz’s discoveries and methods that extended Cartesian functionality by exploring relationships and emergence recursively to address the guiding questions with an emphasis on transformative change at both individual and societal levels for more just, fair and hopeful futures for everyone.