Despite narrating many aspects of her life to us, Rue continues to be an enigma. One of the pieces fans keep trying to figure out is her sexuality. Unlike most characters that have raging sexual narratives on screen, that side of Rue is unusually subdued.
Neither Rue nor Euphoria have explicitly revealed her sexuality. While there are speculations that she could be bisexual or a lesbian, it is also hinted that she may be on the asexual spectrum.
I think that if the show really wanted to put a label on Rue, it would have. Rue is still quite young and has a lot on her plate already, so figuring out her sexuality may not be a priority. That’s completely fine — It is encouraged that one takes their time with it.
So while I won’t attempt to put Rue in a box, I’ve delved into a few possibilities based on how Rue and her sexuality are depicted in Euphoria:
Why Rue Might Be A Lesbian?
There are a lot of speculations about Rue being bisexual. After all, all her past romantic/sexual relationships (which, there aren’t many) were with guys.
But the point to note is that Rue never actually admitted to being attracted or having feelings towards men. She describes her first kiss as “something she needed to get out of the way,” and other sexual endeavors with men as emotionally coerced.
Along with this, both the present and past timelines of the show do not depict Rue being interested in any of the (main) male characters, including Elliot, who seems to have feelings for her.
It is only when she meets Jules that Rue is portrayed to feel anything close to being attracted to a person. As most kids live through a heteronormative upbringing, it is possible that Rue was not able to explore her queerness until she found someone she genuinely liked, like Jules.
Why Rue Might Be Asexual?
As Elliot points out, Rue does not seem to be a “sexual” person — Not like that’s something you can/have to wear on your sleeve for everyone to know. But unlike Elliot, us viewers do get to see more of Rue, which gives us more ideas about Rue’s preferences.
In comparison to all the other characters in the show, Rue does not prioritize sex or regard it as an important factor in a relationship.
She’s recently started opening herself up to Jules, but there are parts of it that come off as an obligation — like she’s doing it just to keep Jules happy.
The other part of it comes off across as an addict trying to hide her addiction. Anorgasmia (the inability to reach an orgasm) is a known side effect of abusing opioid painkillers.
So, while she may not be asexual, the drugs are definitely messing with her brain and cannot aid in her differentiating what might be pleasurable (or even makes her happy) from what does not. This particular bit is teased in episode 5’s trailer.
Why Rue Might Be Demisexual?
We see Rue fantasizing about Jules in season 1, which means she definitely feels attraction towards her. So, it is possible that Rue is demisexual.
“Demi,” means halfway between sexual and asexual and denotes attraction that is only experienced with people you have an emotional connection with.
Let me explain for it — Individuals who identify themselves as demisexual may or may not invest in a sexual relationship with a person they’re romantically involved with. But sexual relationships are not their priority. This best describes her relationship with Jules.
Rue’s Relationship With Jules Does Not Define Her
Since Rules is the only relationship we see, it’s but natural to get invested in it and try to definite both characters by it. In Jules’ case, it’s much easier, since we’re privy to her sexual history and may be able to understand her preferences/tendencies more. But with Rue, we have our work cut out for us.
I personally find Rue’s relationship with Jules problematic because it’s clear that on some level Rue was trying to replace her addiction to drugs with the euphoria she felt in Jules’ presence.
Episode 5’s teaser talks about how addiction messes with your brain and can make you process unhealthy patterns as pleasure:
So it makes me question, does Rue truly like Jules or does she get “high” on their supposed relationship?
While Rue may genuinely have feelings for Jules, it may not be wise to pin down Rue’s sexuality on what could just be yet another addiction. The two not defining their relationship, complicates things further.
In episode 4, it is insinuated that Jules sleeps with Elliot. At that same time, Rue was seen taking an unholy amount of drugs.
Now that Jules knows that Rue has been lying to her, she might use it to justify cheating on her with Elliot. Rue is going to be absolutely wrecked when she finds out. Euphoria S2 episode 5… be kind to us.
About Euphoria
Euphoria is a teen drama on HBO that is loosely based on the Israeli series of the same name. The series is written by Sam Levinson and stars Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, Maude Apatow, Jacob Elordi, Alexa Demie, and others.
The show revolves around Rue, a teen drug addict who is also suffering from Bipolar disorder. She meets Jules, a transwoman, and falls in love with her. Euphoria deals with themes of sexual violence, addiction, trauma, and self-identity.
The series was renewed for season 3 in February 2022.
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