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:

Activism

Blogging Because We Are Family!

June 1, 2013 by

I was a young girl of 8 when the Pittsburgh Pirates adopted the song “We Are Family” during their drive to win the World Series in 1979.  As a grown woman of 42 living in Pittsburgh, the song is permanently fused in my head as both an LGBTQ and sports champion anthem. Perhaps that’s fitting […]

LGBTQ&A

LGBTQ&A: Jodi Hirsh Reminds Us Never to be Silent

June 1, 2013 by

An occasional series where we pose some questions to local LGBTQ folks (and Allies) to learn more about their personal experiences with LGBTQ culture. Click here for a complete list of all LGBTQ&A profiles.  During Pride 2013, we are trying to feature someone each day. Jodi Hirsh was just a name on an email list for […]

LGBTQ&A

LGBTQ&A: Central PA Native Zack Ford Pushes Us to Think

May 30, 2013 by

An occasional series where we pose some questions to local LGBTQ folks (and Allies) to learn more about their personal experiences with LGBTQ culture. Click here for a complete list of all LGBTQ&A profiles. Zack is someone I met online before we met in real life at a conference. He’s from Harrisburg so we occasionally chatted […]

Recreation/Social

Steelers’ New Backup QB Landry Jones Talks Christian Beliefs, LGBTQ Players

May 29, 2013 by

OUTSports recently discussed Pittsburgh’s newest QB – Landry Jones – an openly “devout” Christian in the context of playing with openly gay players. Jones stance is that while he personally thinks homosexuality is “wrong” he would treat openly gay teammates like everyone else. From the interview at OUTsports “There’s not a conflict,” Jones said. “People […]

Politics

Northeastern PA City 31st in Commonwealth to Adopt Inclusive Non-Discrimination Ordinance

May 29, 2013 by

Breaking news from Northeastern Pennsylvania – Pittston has become the 31st municipality in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to adopt a non-discrimination ordinance. The small city of about 8,000 is the first in Luzerne County and second in northeastern Pennsylvania to adopt this type of local law. Over two dozen community supporters of the ordinance attended […]

Recreation/Social

Five Free Things To Do in Pgh This Summer

May 28, 2013 by

Fun in the summertime can be had aplenty at little to no-cost for Pittsburghers.  For starters, take a look at this list of dozens of festivals scheduled throughout the region. Some are free, some have admission fees. Some of our favorites: Wilkinsburg Art in the Park (Thursdays) Pittsburgh Blues Festival (July) African Arts in the […]

LGBTQ&A

LGBTQ&A: Carri Inks Her Support

May 28, 2013 by

An occasional series where we pose some questions to local LGBTQ folks (and Allies) to learn more about their personal experiences with LGBTQ culture. Click here for a complete list of all LGBTQ&A profiles. I met Carri through the interwebs – she has an active petition on Change.org asking the regional Boy Scout Council to lift […]

ActivismOther

Let’s Tax Fireworks to fund Veterans Programs in Pennsylvania

May 27, 2013 by

Texas has a “special tax” on fireworks to fund rural fire departments. I think that makes sense – there’s a clear connection between stupid people who intentionally set things afire and rural fire department resources. I propose a similar tax – 2% – on the sale of fireworks in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to fund […]

LGBTQ&A

LGBTQ&A: Jessi Strucaly Prefers Her Civil Rights Without Sugar, Please

May 26, 2013 by

An occasional series where we pose some questions to local LGBTQ folks (and Allies) to learn more about their personal experiences with LGBTQ culture. Click here for a complete list of all LGBTQ&A profiles.  I met Jessi several years ago through her wife, Emilia. If I had to pick one person (aside from Ledcat) that I […]

CulturePolitics

Local Theater Company Celebrates Pride With Female Erotic Theatrical Expose

May 25, 2013 by

Earlier in May, we were introduced to Off The Wall Productions theater company in Carnegie, PA. We are excited to share that they are producing a one-night only performance for Pride – “The Secret of the Pear for Women Who Love Womenl” on Tuesday, June 11 at 8 PM. A Pittsburgh Pride Event by The […]