For everyone, the word utopia may take the form of many different ideas and concepts. It might be a world free of war, a world free of crime, or for many members of the LGBTQ+ community: a world free of discrimination and bigotry. Everyone will be able to live however they want without holding back from expressing their true, authentic selves. However, most of us can agree that these worlds are called utopias simply because they are ideals. The etymology of utopia is quite literally “nowhere.” As tragic as it might be, it is and will forever be impossible for everyone to live in harmony. Well, José Esteban Muñoz invites readers in Cruising Utopia: The Then and There of Queer Futurity to shift the focus away from the logistics and examine the past and present efforts that are stepping stones for the potential utopia. He claims that people have been too focused on the practical issues of the present day (LGBTQ+ in the military for example) and are not celebrating the progress that was made in the past. Not just merely dwelling in the past, Muñoz created a new definition of queerness in which everything must be seen with a beacon of hope. Without hope, nothing can be achieved. 

José Muñoz was a Cuban American who specialized in the fields of queer theory and cultural studies. He went to Sarah Lawrence College for his undergrad and Duke University for his doctorate. He was a professor and former chair of the Department of Performance Studies at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. While he was working on his third book, he passed away in New York City. In this book, he redefined what “queerness” means. 

“Queerness is not yet here.” (Muñoz 1). That’s the first sentence of this work. Five simple words encapsulated one of the most important messages that he wanted to deliver to the audience. Essentially, queerness is unattainable nor is it an identity for people to embody. Essentially, he claimed that queerness is simply a synonymous term to hope. Rather for people to focus on the practical issues of battling with the government and opposition to gain rights and affirmation of their identity, taking another look at the aesthetic art and culture that have been inspired by queerness is another method in which people can gain a better understanding of what the term truly means. From that argument alone, there are some strengths and also faults that I find. In terms of strengths, Muñoz turned the public’s glances away from the dirty politics and the never-ending fight that it posed in front of us. It is definitely empowering and invigorating to look at the progress that manifested itself in the form of art, exhibited in museums and cultures all around the world. Sometimes, we are too focused on the obstacle that’s present in front of us that we forget to celebrate what has come before. It should be mentioned that this book was written before the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States, so some of the current events obviously don’t match up with the society we live in today. That being said, I do find some of his arguments somewhat controversial. The LGBTQ+ struggle for equal rights has been something that has been ongoing for decades, even centuries. Yes, I agree that we do have to look at past successes and acknowledge how far and how much progress was made. At the same time, we must not grow complacent when the struggle for equality is not over. 

While the hope is the main focus of Muñoz’s works, he wasn’t completely fixated on the idea that everything will be optimistic in the future. Understanding that hope can easily disintegrate in front of huge obstacles, he urged people not to grow pessimistic about the changes that are going to be made in the future. Perusing this section was a bit confusing, especially when he claimed earlier that political goals shouldn’t be the main aim of the community. In my own interpretation, I believe that he was calling for another sense of viewing queerness rather than stopping political progress entirely. He also imagined a future society in which people aren’t necessarily living in an all-perfect world, but a world that has evolved from the present one we have today with an element of queerness. Muñoz didn’t specify any detail that this new society would include, and regardless of being intentional or not, this concept gives readers the freedom to imagine a world in which they would be willing to live in without any restraints of individual expression. What’s truly utopian is our understanding of the many forms of art. 

Overall, José Muñoz’s Cruising Utopia: The Then and There of Queer Futurity is an interesting book to gain a new perspective in regards to a modern-day viewpoint of queer theory. While this book is quite interesting, it’s also very confusing to go through. There were many sections that I had to reread to fully understand or even just to interpret what the author might’ve meant. While this book is popular, the theory and argument behind it haven’t necessarily made their way into the current landscape of popular gender theories. For those who are interested in the connection of the world of art to queer society, I believe that this book is a great choice to begin with. 

Works Cited:

New York University Press. (2009). Cruising Utopia: The Then and There of Queer Futurity.