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.

Man Threatens to ‘Track Me Down’ for a ‘Physical Discussion’ in Response to My Trans Affirming Content

“I’m on my way out anyway. I will find people affiliate with you. I do not stop for protesters. I will run through you” Content Note: threats of violence, transgender content, police Over 20 years of blogging and activism, I have been thrashed and trashed from many corners. I’ve had mean, vicious comments, email, postal […]

My Disabled Friend Has a Section 8 Voucher, But Cannot Find a Landlord

A friend of mine needs help with housing. D is 58 years old and disabled. He is the primary caretaker for his 59 year old disabled brother. They have a Section 8 voucher from Allegheny County for a 2 bedroom apartment. D has been searching for almost a year for a landlord who will accept their […]

On this third anniversary of my Mum’s death, I hope she is protected in Heaven

JIm Pryor

It doesn’t hurt this year. Not in the way her absence from this world ricocheted through my mind and heart the past two years. I realize I write about with so much sadness. Let’s try something new this year. And whatever sadness I feel is mitigated by knowing she is safe. Hopefully, she’s safe in […]

Reasons to Suck It Up Buttercup, Read Your Damn Email

You need to read your email. And not wait for me to poke you on another platform to read your email. It isn’t fair to expect me – in crisis mode, as you know – to manage so many communication tools to keep body and soul together Everyone has their favorite. Most of them are […]

Being underestimated might be my superpower

I am not supposed to talk about any of my lawsuits (all civil matters) so I want to talk about my life, my day to day life as a person with multiple civil lawsuits she can’t discuss. And multiple disabilities. After six months of homelessness (couch surfing), I returned to my home of 20 years […]

So Tracking LGBTQ+ Executive Orders and Actions Matters Now

GLAD Law has published a summary of the anti-LGBTQ executive orders. I highly recommend you visit their site for solid information grounded in facts and common sense. They also tell what’s to be done about them. Below I list the framing GLAD uses for each Executive Order followed by the language the White House chose. […]

How Lucky Am I To Have This 50 Year Friendship?

Let me tell you about my friend, Amy L. We grew up together in West Mifflin, kept in touch over the years. She landed in Upstate NY where she raised her two kids, now adults. She worked in the retail grocery world for like 20 years before pivoting to a civil service exam at age […]

How a Community Pet Food Pantry in Pittsburgh Joined the Resistance

We don’t know what lies ahead. We won’t give you platitudes about resiliency or inner strength or toughness even though we think those are true. What we can give you is reassurance that you are not alone. The Dr. John P. Ruffing VMD Pet Food Pantry supports neighbors taking care of animals – community cats, […]

Here’s How Day 12 of Pneumonia Feels

I’ve been feeling better each day if I don’t push myself too much. Yesterday, I pushed so today I feel awful. Not as awful as last Friday. But in bed for a nap at 2 PM, struggle to complete chores, struggle to complete paperwork awful. My coughing is minimal thanks to meds. My chest still […]

Social media is how I’m showing up this week

Someone asked me how I’m showing up to resist and defy the traumatic chaos seeping out of the White House. Fair question, my friend. So I’ve had pneumonia, still do. That’s dampened my capacity to engage in critical thinking activities, but I am on the mend. I’m trying to continue mending by not moving too […]