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:

Entertainment and MediaHealthReview

We Were Fired as a Nielsen Family Because We Had COVID-19

September 19, 2022 by
Neilsen Ratings Fired Our Family

We wanted to be a Nielsen Family because we know accurate ratings are important for the survival of quality programming. We are avid consumers of media and grieve the closure of stations and outlets and publications. We wanted to do our bit to help. This is the sort of blog post you just never see […]

#ProtectTransKidsHealthOtherTransYouth

Just To Be The Ally Who Raised $1000 To Lay Down at Your Door

September 18, 2022 by

Da da da (da da da)Da da da (da da da)Da Da Da Dun Diddle Un Diddle Un Diddle Uh Da Da My nickname for the group of queer and trans youth who developed the #ProtectTransKidsDay proclamation is “The Proclaimers” Already unhappy that trans kids reported (too) much misgendering and deadnaming in healthcare settings, they […]

ActivismHealthLGBTQ

Pittsburgh’s LGBTQIA+ Commission Says, Tell the Truth about Monkeypox

September 16, 2022 by

The United States’ response to the 2022 human monkeypox (hMPX) outbreak has been a lackluster  and consequential effort due largely to hand-wringing over who is most affected by the expanding  health emergency. For public health officials it appears to have been more important to avoid triggering  homophobia than using the most compelling data available that […]

ActivismPolitics

Another Update On How to Request a Campaign Yard Sign in Pittsburgh

September 15, 2022 by
Fetterman Shapiro Summer Lee Campaign Signs

Since we last had this conversation, progress has been made. The Allegheny County Democrat Committee now has an online form that you can use to request yard signs. That’s what we’ve needed all along. You can request signs through the campaign (in most cases) and through the ACDC (in most cases.) In come cases, the […]

In MemoriamRacial JusticeTrans

Two Spirit Person, Acey Morrison, Killed in South Dakota

September 14, 2022 by

Acey Morrison, a 30-year-old Two Spirit person, was killed in Rapid City, South Dakota on August 21, 2022. News of their death broke just this week when LGBTQ journalist Nico Lange tweeted about their death. Them reports: Law enforcement found Morrison dead in a mobile home, after the owner of the residence reported the murder […]

#ProtectTransKidsPLCTransYouth

Pittsburgh Celebrates First ‘Protect Trans Kids Day’ With Proclamation

September 13, 2022 by
Protect Trans Kids Day Pittsburgh

“To be properly recognized by the city is essentially a beautiful moment for me knowing that it’s a stepping stone for kids to not ever have to feel how I felt or how other kids around me kind of felt like growing up,” they said. “No one was teaching or sharing trans joy around me […]

ActivismPolitics

Update on How to Request Campaign Yard Signs in Pittsburgh

September 10, 2022 by

Earlier this week, I wrote a post outlining the convoluted steps to get yard signs for races that are deemed critical to democracy. I reached out to all of the campaigns and asked them 1. Do you have yard signs available for the community? 2. What options do you have for people to request a sign?  3. Is a […]

Politics

The Queen is Dead, Long Live the Prime Minister?

September 10, 2022 by

I’m all for rousing conversations about the impact of colonialism and the role of the monarchy. BUT … let’s not get into such a tussle over the monarchy that we forget the real change in power that also took place in Britain this week – the new Prime Minister. Whether you mourn, celebrate, or don’t […]

HealthPolitics

Unpacking Dr. Oz Attacking John Fetterman for Surviving a Stroke

September 10, 2022 by

Dr. Oz is trying to erode our trust in John Fetterman, vy strongly implying he’s hiding something about his health or unable to make an informed decisions about his own capabilities. Frankly, this again takes us back to abortion. There’s a shaming factor around *why* someone wants to access an abortion while also a patronizing […]

#ProtectTransKidsTransYouth

Press Release: City Council Proclaims September 12 to be ‘Protect Trans Kids Day’ in Pittsburgh

September 9, 2022 by

Responding to community organizing after the harassment of a local teen, Pittsburgh City Council unanimously declares Monday Sept 12 the FIRST “Protect Trans Kids” in the city of Pittsburgh. The proclamation was drafted and directed by a group of local transgender teens.  The project was launched by a group of teens with City Councilor Bobby […]