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:

Family

The First Anniversary of My Father’s Death

February 28, 2025 by

Today marks one year since my father, my Dad, died. He was 83 years old. I don’t know what to say, but it feels important to mark this day. Part of me wants to share anecdotes about him,the good memories and the funny stories. Another part of me wants to continue pointing out his traumas […]

Family

Showing Up for the Big Show

February 27, 2025 by

Sunday, my youngest nephew, E, made his theatrical debute in Legally Blonde, JR. He played the villainous law professor. The evening show curtain opened at 6 PM. I had seated myself with his mom’s, turning off phone alerts. So it was only after the show that I found this text from him. 2 minutes after […]

In MemoriamRacial JusticeTrans

Black Trans Woman Dies From Multiple Gun Shot Wounds. Her name was Amyri Dior.

February 26, 2025 by

The Crime Police in Milwaukee report that a 23 year old Black trans woman was killed around 12:30 AM on Friday, February 21, 2025 near 95th and Brown Deer. Details are scant, but police confirm she died on the scene from multiple gun shot wounds. Otherwise no information has been released. Her name was Amyri […]

QueerTrans
In MemoriamTrans

Here are the Questions the Media Should Be Asking About the Death of Elisa Rae Shupe

February 25, 2025 by

Journalists have been reaching out to me in every possible way to figure out how to confirm that the person who jumped off the VA Hospital in Syracuse on January 27, 2025 was Elisa Rae Shupe. They can’t report until they confirm so they ask me, they ask for family contacts, they ask for my […]

#PghCatFolx

Another Urgent Plea for Dr. John P. Ruffing Pet Food Pantry – Families in Urgent Need

February 24, 2025 by

Two days ago, we posted an appeal for donations to the Dr. John P. Ruffing Pet Food Pantry. Our supplies have run low and we need donations to fulfill needs through April. Our main needs are dry and canned cat food, but we also distribute dry and canned dog food. We also have three special […]

#PghCatFolx

Urgent Caturday Appeal – This Pittsburgh Pet Food Pantry Only Has Enough Food Through March 14

February 22, 2025 by

Our pet food pantry is going to run out of food in three weeks. Help! The Dr. John P. Ruffing VMD Pet Food Pantry serves cat colony caretakers, TNR trappers, rescues, and modest income pet owners. We currently have 60 household registered, 40 are active. Each month, we distribute dry and canned food – typically […]

Political Q&A

The 2025 Political Q&A Series: Judge Alyssa Cowan, Candidate for Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas

February 21, 2025 by

In order for marginalized groups to have  increased access to the judicial system to expand their civil rights, I would make these three  recommendations: expand pro bono programs, create additional self-help centers, and  encourage attorneys to adopt a sliding-fee scale based on income and ability to pay.  Meet the Candidate Welcome to the 2025 election […]

Political Q&A

The 2025 Political Q&A Series: Lauren Leiggi, Candidate for Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas

February 21, 2025 by

I agreed to complete this Q&A because I myself have previously used this blog to learn more about candidates running for office. I feel it is often difficult to find information about candidates, especially when most people do not know that Judicial candidates have a different set of ethical rules to adhere to compared to […]

In MemoriamRacial JusticeTrans

It matters that trans folx Sam Nordquist AND Tahiry Broom AND Elisa Rae Shupe died

February 19, 2025 by
Trans deaths

The media has been zealously covering the brutal, unfathomable murder of biracial trans man Sam Nordquist in upstate New York this month. Sam was a 24 year old young adult who trusted the wrong person and paid a horrific price. His death is a travesty and there are lessons to be learned. But Sam is […]