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:

Faith and ReligionLetters to the EditorMain PageMilitary

PG Letters to the Editor on LGBTQ Equality

January 11, 2011 by
PG Letters to the Editor on LGBTQ Equality

Folks, it is a good time to get your fingers stretched and send in your own letters.  Politicians pay attention to people contacting them personally, but they also watch the opinion sections of the media.  If you need an angle, consider writing in about Chick Fil A if you are a customer.  Talk with the […]

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I make me smile

January 10, 2011 by
I make me smile

I talked my hair stylist into sharing her wireless code while Ledcat got a snip … One of my favorite gals, asked if It was ok to watch as her partner had her hair done. Sure Sue, I replied, and before I could say cream or no cream, her workspace was set up. Computers on, […]

Faith and ReligionMain Page

In times of trouble …will God bring it?

January 10, 2011 by
In times of trouble …will God bring it?

While I was sojourning this summer, I had the chance to get reacquainted with God.  God came to find me in a most unusual form … a politically conservative Christian evangelical.  We became friends and he listened patiently to my questions.  We were able to agree to disagree and then talk about the things that […]

Main PagePolitics

Gay intern “Ran toward the bullets” to save Giffords’ life

January 10, 2011 by

Openly gay, newly minted intern Daniel Hernandez is credited with saving the life (LezGetReal) of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords when she was shot Saturday in Tucson, Arizona. Hernandez is a Junior at the University of Arizona and a member of  the City of Tucson’s Commission on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Issues.  Follow the link for […]

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Moment of Silence

January 10, 2011 by
Moment of Silence

Tomorrow, I'll try to process.  Tonight, I just want to remind you the our President, Barack Obama, has asked all of America to join in a moment of silence Monday at 11 AM to commemorate all of the victims of the violence in Tucson, the survivors and deceased alike.  “Tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. eastern standard […]

Main PagePolitics

HoBo’s

January 9, 2011 by
HoBo’s

I missed this in the Trib Review.  To be fair, the online edition is unclear whether it is a local piece or a reprint (there's a byline and a tagline).  But “he” takes a closer look at the pursuit of the institute of marriage for the LGBTQ community in the context of “anti-marriage” movements of […]

Letters to the EditorMain PageMarriageWe are Family!

Another PG Letter to the Editor for Marriage Equality

January 8, 2011 by
Another PG Letter to the Editor for Marriage Equality

The PG Community Forum is beginning to grow on me.  Today, we find another pro-equality letter to the editor from Attorney Bruce Wilder of Downtown. Short, sweet and to the point and with an affirming message for same sex parenting. On the issue of “majorities,” please note that anti-miscegenation laws were struck down by the […]

Gay things to do in PghMain Page

Frst Time at Voluto Coffee

January 8, 2011 by

This is a shameful admission, but I've never made it to Voluto until this morning.  I pride myself on not being neighborhood bound, but we just never made it over here.  This morning, I had some time to spend while Ledcat went to another commitment so I popped in and was delightfully surprised and incredibly […]

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HIV/AIDS prevention with gel

January 7, 2011 by
HIV/AIDS prevention with gel

A good piece from the City Paper on the development of a topical gel to reduce transmission, especially for anal penetration.  Good to learn how much Pgh has invested in research.  The article is much more succinct than I could be, but it is just important to remind ourselves that we cannot be passive when […]

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Hair Peace – a new blog

January 7, 2011 by
Hair Peace – a new blog

My hair stylist, Susan Veraldi, owns and operates Veraldi Salon in Oakland.  She just published her first book, Hair Peace which is available for sale. She also launched a blog, On The Fringe, which offers some pretty amusing insights into the daily life of a hair salon.  I enjoy supporting a business that has been woman […]