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.

Is Taylor Swift’s New Video Racist?

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift’s new song “Shake It Off” is a catchy pop tune with more than a few sly references to how she copes with her critics. The video features Swift in multiple genres from ballet to a hip-hop setting being a slightly adorkable young woman who has fun with what she’s doing, but doesn’t quite […]

This Is Why I Use the Facebook Check-In Tool And You Should Too

Facebook Check-In

I recently saw a disgruntled status update from a Facebook friend announcing that he wanted to “block check-ins” because he didn’t bloody care where we are spending our time. I get that. Facebook is filled with all sorts of frivolous and irritating information about our friends, things we don’t have a need to know. But […]

In 2013, 72% of anti-LGBT Homicide Victims Were Transgender Women

Island Nettles

This is an important piece from BuzzFeed about the epidemic of violence against trans women, particularly trans women of color. This snapshot commemorates the one year anniversary of the murder of Islan Nettles, a crime that remains unsolved. Out of 18 anti-LGBT homicides in 2013 included in a report by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, almost […]

#ArtisticVisionPgh QnA with Kai Devenitch

Artistic Vision Pgh

This Q&A series focuses on artists contributing to the #ArtisticVisionPgh project cosponsored by Most Wanted Fine Art and Penn Avenue Eyewear. Kai Devenitch tells us how the world looked from behind his favorite pair of sunglasses. Name: Kai Devenitch Website: kaidevenitch.com Did you grow up with any siblings, friends or schoolmates who wore glasses? Was it a big […]

My Signature Beverage(s)

water coffee

Captain Picard was into Earl Grey tea; mention the Dude and we think: White Russians. What’s your signature beverage — and how did it achieve that status? I have two and both are pretty boring. First, there’s dark roast coffee with cream. This is what I order 90% of the time in a coffeehouse, restaurant or anywhere. I’ll take “normal” coffee and decaf […]

#ArtisticVisionPgh QnA with Brian Cottington

Brian Cottington

This Q&A series focuses on artists contributing to the #ArtisticVisionPgh project cosponsored by Most Wanted Fine Art and Penn Avenue Eyewear. Today, we talk with Brian Cottington. I wanted to take a moment to point out that Brian describes a concrete example of how people “stretch” their vision health services to the point that it […]

17 Year Old Trans Male Student Dies By Suicide in Eastern PA

Riley

    Photo of Riley via Facebook 17 year old Riley Matthew Moscatel died by suicide this week. Riley was a student at Bucks County Technical High School who also happened to be a transgender male.  I held off writing about this because most of the media coverage by local PA and national outlets has done […]

We Are All In This Together

The internet has recently been swept up by the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Is there a cause — social, political, cultural, or other — you passionately believe in? Tell us how you got involved — or why you don’t get involved. This ALS ice-bucket fundraiser seems to be a really touchy topic. I believe it is perfectly fine […]

#ArtisticVisionPgh QnA with Richard Jackley

Richie Jackley

This Q&A series focuses on artists contributing to the #ArtisticVisionPgh project cosponsored by Most Wanted Fine Art and Penn Avenue Eyewear. Today’s profile focuses on Richard Jackley Name: Richard Jackley Did you grow up with any siblings, friends or schoolmates who wore glasses? Was it a big deal with other kids? My sister and father wear glasses. […]

ArtisticVisionPgh QnA With Dale Capellanio

This Q&A series focuses on artists contributing to the #ArtisticVisionPgh project cosponsored by Most Wanted Fine Art and Penn Avenue Eyewear. Next up is Dale Capellanio.  Name: Dale Capellanio Did you grow up with any siblings, friends or schoolmates who wore glasses? Was it a big deal with other kids? My grand parents wore glasses and my […]