On Thralldom and Other Everyday Apocalypses

This article considers how queer theory constructs apocalypse based on a normative understanding of what counts as queer and an inattention to the existence of multiple sexual worlds. Taking hip-hop culture as her case, the author argues that there is a distinct Black sexual world with its own definition of apocalypse. Both queer theory and hip-hop common sense overlook everyday forms of apocalypse that reflect non-normative attachments and emotions. Queer theory overemphasizes how deviations from sexual and gender norms threaten social order and overlooks how emotions and attachments can threaten social hierarchies.