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:

In MemoriamTrans

Black Trans Woman Nina Pop, 28, Murdered in Missouri

May 6, 2020 by

Nina Pop was 28 years old when she was killed, making her the 10th transgender person known to be murdered in the U.S. this year. She died on May 3, 2020. She was born and raised in Sikeston, Missouri. Sikeston is about 145 miles south of St. Louis. She worked in a local restaurant and […]

Health

The Destructive Creativity of Hypomania

May 5, 2020 by

I am what some call bipolar. Bipolar is not a respectful way to describe my disorder or identity. I have bipolar disorder. I live with bipolar disorder. It is part of me, but shortening a diagnosis to a single word is not efficient or effective. It’s just lazy. Don’t describe anyone as ‘bipolar’ I was […]

ActivismHealth

Day 49

May 4, 2020 by

It is hard to continue living with uncertainty. I know there’s no return to normalcy, rather the creation of a new normal. How new it will be is puzzling. With regard to health, surely we will continue wearing face masks and practicing social distancing until there is a vaccine and widespread antibody testing. Just as […]

ActivismMediaOther

World Press Freedom Day 

May 3, 2020 by

From the New York Times Local journalism is in crisis and at risk of disappearing. These vital resources are critical to the safety, security and knowledge of our communities, never more so than in these difficult times. On World Press Freedom Day and every day, we encourage you to find a local news organization you […]

ActivismHealthReview

Be Part of Our Face Mask Reviews and Help Pgh Food Bank

April 29, 2020 by

We are going to need multiple masks to get through 2020. Two person aka one to wear, one to wash at a bare minimum. Anything might work in the short-term, but over the long haul – people need to make careful choices. How do you choose the right face mask for you? What material? Elastic […]

ActivismIn MemoriamTrans

Penélope Díaz Ramírez is the Third Trans Woman Murdered in Puerto Rico in Ten Day Period

April 28, 2020 by

Just days after reporting on the murders of two Latina teens women in Puerto Rico, we’ve learned of the brutal slaying of a third. Penélope Díaz Ramírez, a 31-year-old trans woman, was beaten and hanged to death at the Bayamon correctional complex, a men’s prison in Puerto Rico. She was murdered on April 13, but […]

ActivismSocial Work

Look for the helpers. Then help them.

April 26, 2020 by

One thing I’ve typically done well is filling gaps in services, looking for unmet needs. Right now, I have a lot of balls in the air because the needs are seemingly endless. These are projects where modest donations can have a big impact. Here are some ways to help your neighbors. Help animals. Help veterans. […]

ActivismIn MemoriamTrans

Two Trans Latina Women From NYC Murdered in Puerto Rico

April 26, 2020 by

Serena Angelique Velazquez, 32, of Queens and Layla Pelaez, 21, of the Bronx were visiting their hometowns in Puerto Rico when they were found dead on Wednesday, April 22, 2020. Layla was originally from San Juan. Serena’s Facebook profile identifies her as being both of Russian and Latina origin, fluid in three languages. Their bodies […]

HealthPolitics

Pennsylvania Lt. Governor John Fetterman Stands in Line for Groceries

April 26, 2020 by

Second Lady of Pennsylvania Gisele Barreto Fetterman shared this photo on Sunday morning. Her husband, Pennsylvania’s Lieutenant Goverenor, standing in the rain at a social distance with mask and gloves, waiting to shop for groceries in Pittsburgh. He’s waiting his turn. In the rain. Following the guidelines. Just like the rest of us. #LeadByExample

PoliticsQ&A

PA State Representative Summer Lee Describes Digital Campaigning During a Pandemic

April 22, 2020 by

I asked a few campaigns to weigh in on the new tactics and strategies they will be relying on to move ahead with critical elections. What is still possible? What is newly possible? How can we help from our homes? You can read our candidate Q&A’s here. Also, check out our Q&A’s about the Pennsylvania Primary Election. […]