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.

On Day 227, I Turn 50 Years Old

I wrote this in 2018 My therapist told me that I may just have to endure my birthday each year, that I may not ever find the peace and comfort I’d like to have. It is too deeply connected to my own experiences of chronic trauma. It is not just depression or anxiety. It is […]

Do You Have a Thanksgiving Plan?

Coronavirus is roaring back. Last week, the US averaged 53,000 new infections per day. This week, that’s up to 59,000. According to the New York Times, experts forecast hitting 75,687 new infections per day in the near future. That’s the highest rate in the US from back in July. It could go higher in the […]

On Day 225, I Feel Weary

It has been awhile since I touched base about my mental health. Overall, I’ve been steadily getting more stable since my bout of symptoms in the summer. I still have the residual effects of lithium poisoning, including unexpected twitches of my arms and legs. My p doc lowered my dose and reintroduced another mood stabilizer […]

How to Request Toys for Tots in Western Pennsylvania in 2020 – UPDATED

Toys for Tots Pennsylvania

This is our annual (8+ year) round-up of Toys for Tots programs in Western Pennsylvania for 2020. I’ve done my best to sort through the available information and provide you what you may need to know. PLEASE click through to the applicable link to doublecheck the details. I will update as information becomes available. Some […]

Honored to Win Best Lesbian Activist, Best Blogger in the 2020 LGBTQIA Pittsburgh’s BEST Awards Sponsored by People’s Pride

Pittsburgh LGBT Awards

I am honored to share the news that we have been honored in two categories by the first LGBTQIA Pittsburgh’s Best Awards sponsored by the People’s Pride and SisTers Pgh. People’s Pride PGH – Breaking The Cistem Presents LGBTQIA Pittsburgh’s BEST: Award Ceremony. This ceremony will honor the work of our LGBTQIA communities and forebears […]

We are Donating Our Halloween Trick-or-Treat Candy to Local LGBTQIA Youth

Where to Donate Halloween Candy in Pittsburgh

We love Trick-or-Treat. We have a cute set of bowls plus a teal pumpkin. We order our candy several weeks ahead of time, including the pieces we will inevitably eat ourselves. If the weather is nice, we sit on our stoop. Otherwise, I sit on the sofa watching out for Trick-or-Treaters and we take turns […]

UPDATED: Trans Woman Sara Blackwood Killed in Indianapolis on National Coming Out Day 2020

  An Indianapolis trans woman named Sara Blackwood is the latest victim of gun violence in the United States. She was shot to death walking home from work on National Coming Out Day, October 11 around 10 PM. From Fox 59 in Indianapolis According to police, the shooting occurred in the 2500 block of E. […]

Facemask Q&A with HauteButch Founder & Designer Karen Roberts

Karen Haute Butch

The fear, oppression, and sheer frustration that comes along with having a fierce sense of style and living in a society stuck in out-dated mindsets where women should embrace feminine “appropriateness” is what keeps HauteButch thriving even on our darkest days. One important part of the Pittsburgh MasQUe ProjecT is highlighting safe and affirming places […]

From 60 Minutes: Doctors say they would prefer people wear masks to holding out hope for a vaccine

Sunday evening, 60 Minutes took a deep dive into the COVID-19 vaccine research. It was interesting, but what caught my eye was a question Scott Pelley posed to one of the researchers on camera and others off-camers:  “Would you rather have a mask or a vaccine?” The answer: mask. Masks save lives now. Pelley goes […]

Election Q&A with Long-Time Volunteer Laura Horowitz

I’m compiling information on this most unusual of elections from a variety of sources. This is a Q&A with Laura Horowitz who has been doing GOTV and candidate work for many years. The goal of a vote plan is to encourage an individual to envision themselves voting and identify any potential barriers they might have […]