Shifting paradigms, not identities. LGBTIQ+ refugees queering temporalities in Denmark

In light of tightening immigration policies, LGBTIQ+ refugees are oftentimes presented as ‘stuck’ in the asylum regime, having to continuously perform their sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression (SOGIE) in a fixed way. This article rethinks this narrative, arguing that rather than being stuck, LGBTIQ+ refugees are navigating through spatialised temporalities – during and after their asylum process. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with LGBTIQ+ refugees in Denmark, this article explores how LGBTIQ+ refugees queer temporality in multiple ways: First, I demonstrate how the so-called Danish “paradigm shift” is producing uncertain temporalities for LGBTIQ+ refugees. Second, I analyse how LGBTIQ+ refugees are becoming and remaining queer after having been granted asylum. Finally, I explore how LGBTIQ+ refugees are (un)able to “come out” of the asylum system. By claiming belonging to the Danish nation-state, they seek a change in the asylum system and demand permanent residence to express their SOGIE fluently.