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.

No legal charges in Club Pittsburgh death; moral responsibility is up to us.

No legal charges in Club Pittsburgh death; moral responsibility is up to us.

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Allegheny County prosecutors will not press charges against a Strip District club for the death of one of its patrons in January. Cleophus Pettway, 31, of Youngstown, Ohio, was found dead in a private room at Club Pittsburgh, a popular meeting spot for gay men. District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. […]

Update on “Pride Night at PNC Park”

Update on “Pride Night at PNC Park”

I spoke with a representative from the Pirates today who tactfully told me that a breakdown in communication blocked the 2008 event, but plans are well underway to organize an official Pride Night during June of 2009.  He was very candid about wanting to connect with LGBT baseball fans.  Officials from the local Pridefest organizing […]

HB 300 voted out of committtee; PG little newspaper that could (sorta)

HB 300 voted out of committtee; PG little newspaper that could (sorta)

HB 300 is making decent progress. By the slimmest of margins, a House panel has approved Rep. Dan Frankel's bill to ban discrimination in housing and jobs against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. The State Government Committee voted today by a margin of 12 to 11 — Democrats in favor and Republicans opposed — […]

PG on HB 300

PG on HB 300

“Simple fairness,” proclaim the editors of the Post-Gazette in their somewhat disappointing endorsement for the statewide bill. I expected to see a bit of a mention that this legislation does not pit gay rights versus religious rights, a very necessary caveat since the Post-Gazette's coverage of similar legislation on the County level did not really […]

Celebrate Life, Celebrate Art 2009

Click on the image for more details.  I'm very pleased to share that Ledcat and I will be liveblogging from this year's auction.  So even if you can't attend, send in your donation to the very worthwhile Persad Center and be part of the action from your very own computer.  It is like our very […]

First Lesbian & Gay Film of 2009

First Lesbian & Gay Film of 2009

JOIN US THURSDAY, APRIL 2nd, 7:30 PM at the SouthSide Works Cinema   Between Love and Goodbye (U.S.A., 2008, 97 minutes)Genre/Subjects: Drama, gay and transgender From Casper Andreas, the director of Slutty Summer and A Four Letter Word comes this modern gay drama about falling in and out of love, and the rocky ride in […]

Pittsburgh Pirates Owner Published Homophobic Cartoon in Hawaii

On February 26, 2009, the Lahaina News – a weekly paper in Hawaii — published the following editorial cartoon. The following week, the editor reportedly published the following statement: “We realize that last week's cartoon offended some community sensibilities.  We apologize for that.”  I cannot verify this as the apology does not appear to be published […]

FYI: Lynn Cullen debutes on WAMO Monday at 5 PM

FYI: Lynn Cullen debutes on WAMO Monday at 5 PM

Just a simple FYI.  Tune into WAMO 860 AM at 5 PM Monday afternoon for the return of the Lynn Cullen show.  

Frankel introduced non-discrimination bill

Frankel introduced non-discrimination bill

The Post-Gazette is reporting that State Representative Dan Frankel has introduced legislation to expand civil protections to include the LGBTQ community across the state.  He's built up a stronger base of support so things look possible this time around.

Netroots Nation Call for Proposals

Netroots Nation Call for Proposals

Netroots Nation is coming to Pittsburgh August 13-16, 2009.  Here's the call for proposals. In the next 12 months, we'll be working together more than ever to push progressive policy into legislation. And there's no better place to discuss our priorities and plan how to make them a reality than at Netroots Nation, the grassroots event […]