The Natural History of Disidentification: Critical Queerness after Adorno

Abstract

The relationship between Critical Theory, in particular Adorno’s, and queer theory is marked by a peculiar paradox: Adorno’s work is permeated with reflections on sexual identity and same-sex desire to the extent that they seem, in an inconspicuous way, foundational to his social critique, yet most of his discussions on the topic may be viewed as stereotypical, uninformed, even homophobic. At the same time, Adorno has written on and was publicly engaged in the fight against LGBTQ discrimination. Furthermore, certain elements of his Critical Theory have been taken up by queer theorists, who found in it an impetus for a queer critique of oppressive normativity, identity politics, and the pressures to adapt and assimilate to dominant culture. Drawing on queer thinkers who were inspired by Adorno’s philosophy, this article traces the place of sexual identity and same-sex desire in Adorno’s work, as well as the import of his Critical Theory for queer theory, to illuminate the significance of his negative dialectics for an understanding of queer negativity, or critical queerness, as a thinking that challenges conceptions of compulsive identity and social normativity without discounting the value of queer futurity and collectivity.

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