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.

Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor

In today's PG , Chris Strayer of Homewood (misspelled as Hoomewood, I think) rebuts the “marriage is for procreation” argument.  Or, as Chris puts it, marriage for breeding.  That was worth a chuckle. I'm confused about this “engendering” business. I thought that was something ultrasound readers and OB/GYNs did. They look at the kid and assign […]

Random Things You Might Find Interesting

Random Things You Might Find Interesting

In no particular order. The Post-Gazette examines the impact of the “new needy” on already stretched safety net resources.  Mr. Carpenter became one of the “new needy,” a group of newly unemployed and under-employed workers being forced to seek help from charities for the first time. Seventy-three percent of Pittsburgh-area nonprofits have seen increases in […]

A Positive Note: Southern AZ Creative Response to Cinemark and other stuff

A Positive Note: Southern AZ Creative Response to Cinemark and other stuff

This came into my box today.  How creative!   What better way to do this than to raise $9,999.99 in support of Wingspan's work in the coming year, while sending a message directly to Mr. Stock that this money was raised because of his support for anti-LGBT ballot measures. If you make an online donation of […]

Pittsburgh’s Mayor Launches LGBT Advisory Council Amidst Unanswered Questions

Pittsburgh’s Mayor Launches LGBT Advisory Council Amidst Unanswered Questions

FURTHER UPDATE:  If you wonder why campaign contributions matter, check out this PG article on the connection between contributions and City contracts.  Transparency, my friends.  Michael Lamb gets transparency. ************************************************************************************ UPDATE:  In response to some community outrage (after 10 minutes), let me be clear that I am not suggesting any specific improprieties on the part […]

Milk opens in Pittsburgh

I stole this picture from the City Paper website where Harry Kloman reviews Milk. The movie opens this weekend in Pittsburgh.  Debate raged hotly at the recent LGBT Blogging Summit about the effectiveness of boycotting Cinemark theaters. Some cities are staging protests and candlelight vigils.  Others are working with the Sundance Film Festival to address […]

Tree at City County Bldg in the Rain

Tree at City County Bldg Revised.jpg

Holiday Shopping Advice from the Correspondents

Just a little hint.  If you are contemplating holiday purchases, two excellent local businesses that are owned by members of our community (and employ others) are worth your consideration.   A Pleasant Present is a great little gift store in Squirrel Hill. They sell a wide array of rainbow/pride merchandise and tons of other stuff.  […]

The Mayor’s GLBT Advisory Council

The Mayor’s GLBT Advisory Council

I left tonight's meeting with some unanswered questions that I have submitted to his staff, so I'm going to give you a brief overview of the proceedings and save my analysis for a later date. There 25 people in attendance, plus two folks from the media (City Paper and Rustbelt Radio).  They are accepting nominations through […]

Breaking News from NJ: Civil Unions Aren’t Working, State Should Permit Marriage

Breaking News from NJ:  Civil Unions Aren’t Working, State Should Permit Marriage

Just in: Today at 3:56pm Reply This is a message from Garden State Equality: This is huge. The New Jersey Civil Union Review Commission has completed its final report. In a unanimous vote, the Commission pronounces the civil union law a failure and recommends to Governor Corzine and the legislature that they enact a marriage […]