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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Pittsburgh Lesbian & Gay Film Society prepares for festival

September 18, 2008 by
Pittsburgh Lesbian & Gay Film Society prepares for festival

I love that we have this cool film festival every year and always feel bad for missing most of the films.  I think we managed to get to two last year.  We did not like the after-party at the Cheesecake Factory so I think we'll skip that this year.  It must be very hard to […]

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i hate bronchitis, but 311 is sorta okay

September 17, 2008 by
i hate bronchitis, but 311 is sorta okay

thank goodness my doctor told me to go home and stay in bed AFTER the electricity came back on.  we may only get four channels, but if i had to lay here in the dark without being able to see what Jack, Carly, Holden and Lily are doing … i hate bronchitis. i hate the […]

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Still Lesbians. Still in the dark.

September 16, 2008 by
Still Lesbians. Still in the dark.

Arrggg.  We'll cross the 48 hour mark tonight and word on the street is that we may have to wait until FRIDAY.  It is all rumor b/c distributing information seems to be a big weak spot in the world of Duquesne Light.  All of this — all of this — would be much better if we […]

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Lesbians After Dark

September 15, 2008 by
Lesbians After Dark

So, Sunday was great.  The air was cool, we get a ton of house stuff done and even snuck away for ice cream in the middle of the afternoon.  Game time rolls around and we make good on a mutual promise to attack the giant pile of laundry that seems to have mutated in our […]

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Tina Fey as Sarah Palin

September 14, 2008 by
Tina Fey as Sarah Palin

I waited all day for this, enduring a meal at TGI Fridays (blaa) and a movie at the Waterfront (why must there be so many non-movie related distractions in one giant place?).  Then we rushed home, jumped into our jammies and saw this.  It is hilarious:  

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Books, Dinner on the Southside and Other Queer Stuff

September 10, 2008 by
Books, Dinner on the Southside and Other Queer Stuff

Leading off tonight, a thoughtful post from The Bilerico Project about the 12 most significant books for the lesbian and gay community (his term).  I've read one – the Bible.  And I have to stay that I am absolutely stunned that Middlesex did not make the cut.  It is a phenomenal novel.  I'm adding the […]

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Update from Steel City Stonewall

September 9, 2008 by
Update from Steel City Stonewall

Some news from our friends at Steel City.  Two ways for you to get involved. A movie night at Cattivo and a Bonfire.  How fun is that!  I haven't done a bonfire in years and years.  Ironically, I was moaning to Lance about the events all being in smoking venues.  Lo and behold, an actual […]

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Smoking in the Girls Room?

September 9, 2008 by
Smoking in the Girls Room?

September 11 marks the date when local business must comply with the anti-smoking ordinance.  I CAN'T WAIT!  Here's the link to the rules and regs. I went to the bathroom at my lunch stop today and passed people smoking where the food is prepared.  That is so beyond disgusting.  It was like 80 degrees — […]

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Unpalatable: a lesbian quest for cupcakes

September 9, 2008 by
Unpalatable: a lesbian quest for cupcakes

Update:  I edited out a sentence that was offensive to someone whom I did not mean to offend.  I am running out of bakeries to patronize. First, there was The Priory on the Northside.  I loved their baked goods, but disliked their tactics opposing the drink tax which cost our community an ally. Today, I did it […]

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Shut Up and Vote Syndrome

August 27, 2008 by
Shut Up and Vote Syndrome

I watched her speech last night and was proud that she was my candidate for President.  She did a great job lifting up Barack as her candidate, calling for unity and reminding her supporters why they got into her campaign in the first place.  I thought her speechwriters masterfully celebrated her accomplishments while folding them into […]