Sue

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.

Posts by Sue:

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A Pittsburgh Queer Political Roadmap as of June 2009

June 22, 2009 by

Jesus, Mary and Joseph!  We got a lot going on that impacts us on local, statewide and national levels.  Lots of calls to action.  Try not to feel overwhelmed or besieged.  Instead, this gives you a lot of opportunities to make an impact, most with a simple series of phone calls.  I'm going to try […]

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Domestic Violence: the police need to protect and serve survivors

June 22, 2009 by

A few years ago, I had the privilege of breaking ground (I think) with the first liveblog of a City Council hearing.  That meeting involved the Pittsburgh Police Department's internal domestic violence staff policy.  You have to scroll down a bit to see the posts, but here they are. There's an oft repeated mantra that […]

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A little update on ENDA – Altmire, Murtha and Carney needs calls today

June 22, 2009 by

The ENDA folks are asking Pennsylvanians in the following Congressional districts.  Do you have time to make a call today? Jason Altmire (PA), Christopher Carney (PA), John Murtha (PA), “Does the Congressman support a fully inclusive ENDA, which includes sexual orientation AND gender identity and gender expression?” The number for Congress is: 202-224-3121. Not sure […]

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HB 300: Attention Brentwood/Mt. Oliver/Southside LGBT residents

June 21, 2009 by

Steel City Stonewall cordially invites the residents of PA House District 36 to participate in a face to face meeting with State Representative Harry Readshaw.  Rep Readshaw is at the top of the list of targeted legislators whose vote is needed for HB 300.  I know you are busy.  You work FT.  Your children have […]

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Remember Sally Kern? Will a statewide Democrat show the moral leadership of Doug Shields?

June 20, 2009 by

Remember this from 2008?   Sally Kern of Oklahoma on gays. Followed by the response of Pittsburgh City Council President Doug Shields.  The homosexual agenda is destroying this nation, okay. It’s just a fact. Not everybody’s lifestyle is equal. Just like not all religions are equal. The very fact that I’m talking to you like this […]

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Response to PA Senator Eichelberger’s “allowing [gays] to exist” comment

June 20, 2009 by

I'll try to keep this updated because I think it is important that we keep tabs on how this outrageous comment strikes our elected officials, the media and so forth.  The debate itself has been heralded in the gay media as a great example of a straight elected official laying out the argument for marriage […]

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OUT in Pittsburgh has new online social network

June 20, 2009 by

Check out the new online social network site brought to us by Pittsburgh's OUT media.  http://outconnect.ning.com/

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Call for cosponsors on Inclusive ENDA

June 20, 2009 by

US Representative Barney Frank has issued a call for cosponsors on legislation to provide employment protections based on sexual orientation, gender identify and gender expression (known as an inclusive ENDA). Your charge is to contact your US Representative – by Tuesday – and simply ask them to cosponsor the legislation.  You can do this by […]

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PA Senator says he is “allowing [gays] to exist”

June 19, 2009 by

Just in from Keystone Equality comes word that Pennsylvania State Senator John Eichelberger made the following comments in his radio debate with Senator Daylin Leach about their dueling marriage equality bills.  Senator Eichelberger's bill would amend the constitution of Pennsylvania to define marriage as between a man and a woman. Here’s a partial transcript of […]

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Change in Commenting

June 18, 2009 by

Effective today, anonymous comments will no longer be permitted on pghlesbian.com.  Users wishing to comment will have to register and log in to do so.  I will also be moderating comments so there may be some delay in posting depending upon my access to email.  If you have any questions about registering, let me know.