Queering Ruth: Chosen Family and Belonging

In this episode, we look at Ruth 1:1–18 and the powerful, often-overlooked queerness of Ruth and Naomi’s relationship. Rather than reading the passage primarily as a lesbian love story, we consider how Ruth’s radical commitment to Naomi challenges traditional ideas about family, loyalty, and belonging. There is a celebration of chosen family and the freedom to build deep, lifelong commitments with people whether or not those relationships are romantic or sexual. and imagines a queer vision of community where friendship, co-parenting, shared homes, work, gardens, caregiving, and end-of-life companionship can all be forms of profound love. We also consider how Ruth’s story challenges biblical ideas about who belongs among God’s people, highlighting Ruth’s choice to join Naomi’s people. What does it look like when we get to create families and communities rooted not in prescribed roles, but in chosen commitment, mutual care, and expansive love?

Ruth 1:1 – 18

During the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. A man with his wife and two sons went from Bethlehem of Judah to dwell in the territory of Moab. The name of that man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They entered the territory of Moab and settled there.

But Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died. Then only she was left, along with her two sons. They took wives for themselves, Moabite women; the name of the first was Orpah and the name of the second was Ruth. And they lived there for about ten years.

But both of the sons, Mahlon and Chilion, also died. Only the woman was left, without her two children and without her husband.

Then she arose along with her daughters-in-law to return from the field of Moab, because while in the territory of Moab she had heard that the Lord had paid attention to his people by providing food for them. She left the place where she had been, and her two daughters-in-law went with her. They went along the road to return to the land of Judah.

Naomi said to her daughters-in-law, “Go, turn back, each of you to the household of your mother. May the Lord deal faithfully with you, just as you have done with the dead and with me. May the Lord provide for you so that you may find security, each woman in the household of her husband.” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.

But they replied to her, “No, instead we will ret