Sue is the founder of Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents blog, established in 2005.. She has an MSW from the University in Pittsburgh and a BA in Political Science from Marymount University. Her undergraduate claim to fame is a six month stint as an intern with then Congressman Rick Santorum in 1991. Born and raised in West Mifflin, Sue attended college in Washington DC, then graduate school in Louisiana and ended up in Kentucky doing social service ministry. She returned to Pittsburgh in 1997. She now lives on Pittsburgh’s Northside with her wife, Laura. She was among the first out LGBTQ people named to Pittsburgh’s 40 Under 40 in 2004 and is a graduate of Leadership Development Initiative Class VII. After being fully and permanently disabled in 2010, Sue has continued to serve the community. She founded the Pittsburgh Tote Bag Project to address hunger and environmental issues. In 2015, she launched the #AMPLIFY LGBTQ archive in conjunction with a two-year artist in residence stint with Most Wanted Fine Art. Sue and her wife have fostered over 25 kittens through Pittsburgh CAT and Homeless Cat Management Team, and now manage multiple community cat colonies in their neighborhood. In 2020, Sue cofounded the Pittsburgh MasQUe ProjecT to support the queer and trans community during the pandemic, distributing tens of thousands of face masks and other supplies throughout the region. In 2021, Sue created the #PghCatFolx projects to support neighbors working with community cats. Under that heading came the Dr. John P. Ruffing DVM Pet Food Projects, memorializing one of her very best friends who died in 2007. In 2021, Sue worked with community leaders to develop and establish a 501c3 nonprofit organization, Pittsburgh LGBTQ Charities (PLC) where she currently serves as Board President. PLC absorbed the #PghCatFolx projects. Also in 2021, Sue was the first person in history appointed to the City of Pittsburgh LGBTQIA+ Commission and was unanimously elected as one of three inaugural co-chairs. Her blogging has garnered numerous awards Favorite GLBT Media Publication - 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016 (Keystone Alliance Gaylife Newsletter Reader’s Poll) Favorite GLBT Social Media - 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 (Keystone Alliance Gaylife Newsletter Reader’s Poll) Best Local Blogger - 2016, 2019 (Pittsburgh City Paper Reader’s Poll) LGBTQIA Pittsburgh’s Best Blogger - 2020 (SisTersPgh, People’s Pride of Pittsburgh) Outstanding Blog - 2019, 2022 (GLAAD Media Awards) Sue has also personally been honored Person of the Year - The Advocate Magazine, 2022 15 Lesbian Icons - LGBTQ Nation, 2023 LGBTQIA Pittsburgh’s Best Lesbian Activist - SisTersPgh, People’s Pride of Pittsburgh 2022 Sue believes in identifying and filling gaps in supports & services rather than recreating the wheel. She uses both her undergraduate and graduate degrees on a regular basis as a blogger and activist and regularly circulates her 1991 internship photo just to shake things up on her social media feeds. Her own experiences with cPTSD, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and other health challenges have fueled her health blogging and activism. She also writes extensively about her family history, drawing on her amateur genealogy hobby. The blog regularly reviews arts and cultural events as well as exploring restaurants, soap opera storylines, and hyper-local news. Sue and her wife Laura have been together since 2003. They were married on a very cold February 2, 2021 in their backyard at a very small ceremony co-officiated by their pagan priestess friend, Anne, and then-Mayor Bill Peduto. They have six niblings, four in Pittsburgh and two in Philadelphia.

Holiday Ditty: Try not to be a c*nt, it’s Christmas

This Fascinating Aïda Christmas song is making the rounds on social media. I share it every time it comes across my feed. Then I thought to myself, self – why not preserve this humor in your pantheon of Winter Holiday blog posts. It’s essentially Spice Girls meets Henry VIII’s six wives. [All]Christmas comes but once […]

Here’s My Holiday Things to Do in Pittsburgh 2024 Edition

Pittsburgh's Charlie Brown Tree

The Winter Holidays are here along with an array of festive events. Tell us what else we should add! Lights Nov 30- Dec 25, 6:30pm – 9:00pm Free Holiday Light Drive Thru, Alameda Park, Butler County December 1 – January 2 Holiday Lights Drive Thru, North Strabane Park December 7 -January 7 Moon Holiday Lights […]

She Donated Cat Dental Treats for Each Colony Caretaker

Amy has been my friend since at least 1974 when we both started kindergarten. She shared her home with a cat, a dog, and a granddog on occasion. She saw my post about the holiday pet food drive and responded. Her donation included a bag of dental treats for each of our households. What a […]

Donate Your Nativity and Holiday Decorations to Make a Statement

Holiday nativity scene

In 2022, I decided to create a Nativity Scene also known as a créche in front of my home. The objective was to raise awareness of Pittsburgh LGBTQ Charities projects. People stopped. Back up a bit to 2019. My friend Sarah gifted me with a large plastic Jesus, Mary, and Joseph outdoor set. She had […]

What I Learned From a Month of Daily Blogging

NaBloPoMo

It has been several years since I participated in National Blog Post Month or NaBloPoMo. I published a post every day during November this year. Particularly challenging this November as I navigated a fine line between disengagement and sanity. Sanity did not always prevail. Several posts were deep dives inward, exploring my traumas and a […]

Gertie Goes to the Garage

On Tuesday, Gertie refused to start. For first time readers, Gertie aka St. Gertrude is the Land Rover Defender a friend lent me. Because he could. On Wednesday, I called AAA. My service provider Josh was absolutely thrilled to see the “coolest vehicle I’ve ever serviced.” Sadly, Josh was unable to get her started and […]

Donor Offers $2k to Save #ProtectTransKids if We Can Raise the Other $8k.

Protect Trans Kids

Earlier this week, I wrote about plans to close the #ProtectTransKids project due to a lack of funding. Since then, one person whom I do not know IRL offered to make some calls as he put it. Today, a woman reached out offering $2000 or 20% of the $10k we need if I can find […]

Call me anytime, on the line

My voicemail can handle about three messages before it is full. I am frequently being told “Your inbox is full” or “Delete some messages” or some such advice. I try hard to stay on top of the three spam messages that inevitably fill those slots, but I’m only human. The rest of the voicemail slots? […]

24 Lesbian Thanksgivings

Thanksgiving

I had a delicious turkey dinner from Bistro-to-Go for lunch, planned holiday decorations for the Fort Faulsey colony, and have my blueberry muffins ready to go for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. I finally put flannel sheets on my bed. All in all, a good Thanksgiving Eve. For my #NaBloPoMo contribution, I pulled together a […]

Ten Holiday Traditions on My List for 2024

I expect the winter holidays will be a little challenging. Not as raw as last year, perhaps more insistent on looking forward. So I made a list of traditions, new and old, and already invited friends to join me. I have no one with whom I’ll exchange gifts. Of course I’ll gift to my nephews, […]