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.

Trans Latina Rosa Martinez Machuca, 24, Among Murder Victims of Target Shooting in Austin

A shooting outside of a Target in Austin, Texas on August 11 claimed three lives, including a trans woman who was an employee. Also killed were a 4 year old girl and her grandfather. The shooter was a 32-year-old White male who offered no explanations for his actions. The Crime Rosa Martinez Machuca, a trans […]

How to help me with housing

After I wrote the blog post “Here’s the truth about housing after a divorce” I received two questions – “What are you going to do?” and “Why aren’t you mobilizing your followers?” I don’t know what I’m going to do. The post laid out the assorted options. I have to believe there is a way […]

Here’s the truth about housing after a divorce

As you know I’m in the middle of a divorce. Contentious, one might say. It has been very rough. So many legal questions. We have been together since 2003, lived together since 2005, and domestic partners since 2006. We married in 2021. So its a 2.5 year marriage and a 16 year partnership, a 18.5 […]

And middle-aged woman really are invisible

It is true that middle-aged women are invisible in many spaces, at least those I occupy. I literally take up 225 lbs and 5’3″ of space, but that is compacted and impacted until my body remains but my essence is this small overlooked thing. One example is how I rushed, crammed, fit in, scheduled, rescheduled, […]

Crisis alert: The Dr. John P. Ruffing VMD Pet Food Pantry faces dwindling inventory, fewer donations, and more households registering

Things are dire with the Dr. John P. Ruffing VMD Pet Food Pantry. I’m out of ideas. We can’t get the shed up. To get started, here’s a sweet video clip of two bonded cats born outside separately in 2019. They’ve lived here ever since. Spencer Cassadine is on the left, Kinzua on the right. […]

Will the Supreme Court Overturn Marriage Equality? What Does That Mean for Domestic Partnerships?

Marriage equality is going to fall. Marriage equality is going to fall. Soon, much sooner than we expected. Potentially very soon. I’ve been saying this all along and pleading with everyone to strengthen functional marriage equivalents (domestic partnerships, civil unions, etc) especially in states like Pennsylvania. PA has a ‘trigger law’ –  a Defense of […]

We Are Bringing Back ‘Seven with Sue (+1)’ Q&A Series Focusing on Artists and Creators

After the disastrous spring run of our Political Q&A series, I’ve decided to pull it. If the Mayoral candidates failed to see value in a 10 year labor of love, that says something to other candidates. Maybe I’ll revive it, maybe not. Still, I really do enjoy the Q&A so exciting news … we are […]

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When Occasional Empty Spaces Get You Down

I am restless today, but in that quiet way where my body is still while my mind leaps from topic to topic. The plan for today was to clean the cab of Gertie. She’s a mess. But it feels like 90 degrees outside so I’ll have to wait a few hours. My back hurts. I […]

Our 2025 List of Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania Pride Festivals in August, September, and October

There’s been a lot of Pride events in 2025, but there are still 12 events and probably more. August 2025 September 2025 October 2025