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:

Politics

PA State Rep Metcalfe Promises to Reintroduce “Marriage Protection” Amendment in 2013

December 13, 2012 by

Well, that didn’t take long. No sooner than a member of the PA Republican delegation comes out than good ole Daryl Metcalfe sends around a memo stating his intent to “be like Florida” (OMG) and reintroduce the damn amendment. Last month, voters in FOUR STATES embraced marriage equality. OK, Minnesota rejected a marriage amendment which […]

Other

General Hospital Adds New Gay Male Character – Felix Dubois

December 9, 2012 by

The introductory scenes of General Hospitals second LGBT character seem to have annoyed some of the gays. Hmmm. I’m pretty sure there’s simply no way a character could be introduced that would make everyone happy – OH WAIT – that’s how soap opera characters ALWAYS work when they first come on screen. So Felix Dubois […]

Politics

Do You Believe Stonewall Democrats Are Relevant to Political Discourse?

December 5, 2012 by

Stonewall Democrats – national – is in dire straights financially. This is deplorable. I don’t agree with their positions on all things, but I agree very much with this particular statement: In far too many places, the Democratic Party structures at the state and local level maintain a less than hospitable attitude toward LGBT equality […]

Politics

PA’s First Openly Gay Elected Official is Mike Fleck and He’s a Republican

December 3, 2012 by

This past election, Eastern PA elected our first first openly gay candidate, Brian Sims, to the PA House. This weekend, we learned however, that current State Rep Mike Fleck (R) has come out. So that’s an interesting turn of events.   From PoliticsPA He said his party affiliation remains strong. “The Republican party is all […]

Politics

Pgh City Council Redistricting – Developments

November 28, 2012 by

In a stunning denouncement of democratic process, Pittsburgh City Councilors Darlene Harris, Daniel Lavelle, Ricky Burgess, Patrick Dowd and Theresa Kail-Smith voted to approve a new City Council district map without time for well, much of anything. Thanks to Bram for the map. Bloggers are waiting for Chris Briem to weigh in on what it […]

Activism

Interesting Mashup of Do They Know Its Christmas and Occupy Footage

November 24, 2012 by
ActivismOtherPolitics

“Kill the Gays” Bill Faces Imminent Vote in Uganda

November 21, 2012 by

Uganda’s much promised “Kill the Gays” bill has made its way on to the legislative agenda with the sponsor urging the legislative body to pass this bill as a “Christmas gift” to the nation.  The law will broaden the criminalization of same-sex relationships by dividing homosexuality into two categories; aggravated homosexuality and the offense of […]

Other

Hey *I* Was Going to Write a Post-Election Post-Mortem … :-)

November 19, 2012 by

I love that Trish jumped right into my favorite topic – Daryl Metcalfe’s reign of holy terror in Pennsylvania. I had been planning a one week reflection on the election, but was derailed by tendinitisand well … OMG, its been a week? Like my sister blogger, I think there is a lot of interesting “space” […]

Other

Pittsburgh, There are more important thing to worry about than Schenley High School

November 19, 2012 by

Remember when Schenley High School was closed? In 2008. Four years ago. Remember when nearly 300 employees of the Pittsburgh Public School District (PPS) were laid off? Four months ago. Sigh. Schenley had/has a robust alumni group that vigorously protested the closure of an important institution to the East End identity. That’s fine. They are […]

Culture

GLCC To Host Collaboration of Art & Drag

November 19, 2012 by

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: ART AND DRAG UNITE FOR A ROYAL SHOW Pittsburgh, PA Dec. 2, 2012- Drag Queens and Kings as Portrayed by Local Pittsburgh Artists.The GLCC proudly presents a collaborative effort between the visual art community and the drag performance community. “Drag” can be understood gender bending or gender illusion entertainment that has the power […]