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:

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Blog Block

October 30, 2009 by

I downloaed IE 8.0 and highly suggest you do NOT do the same.  Arrrgggg.  I cannot cut and paste.  How is a blogger supposed to maintain without cut and pasteability?  The intensity of this week is off the charts.  Ledcat is imposing a mandatory stay home and watch television rule tonight to slow things down […]

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Update from Lesbian Central

October 29, 2009 by

What a busy, busy week.  Ledcat and I taped a segment for the Post-Gazette's “Omnivore” podcast with Mackenzie Carpenter on Tuesday.  It is up on the PG+ site now.  Being in the PG newsroom was quite heady for a geek like me.  Dennis Roddy recognized my name.  That's like Mr. Spock knowing a Trekkie's actual […]

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“Homosexual”: Sometimes you just have to have a conversation

October 28, 2009 by

During Monday's evening newscast on KDKA, sports reporter Jory Rand covered the story about Larry Johnson's use of homophobic slurs. Johnson plays foortball for the Kansas City Chiefs. The episode began Sunday night, when Johnson questioned Coach Todd Haley's football credentials on his Twitter account. He used the slur during an exchange with one of […]

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Don’t vote for Joan Orie Melvin … here’s why

October 24, 2009 by

This is somewhat breathtaking … Judge Orie Melvin dissented from an en banc Superior Court decision in Thierfelder v. Wolfert, 978 A.2d 361 (Pa. Super. May 19, 2009), which held that when a physician is providing specific treatment for psychological problems, and has a sexual relationship with the patient, if that sexual relationship directly causes […]

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It iS saTurDAY

October 24, 2009 by

So much to review and comment upon … the weeks just fly by these days.  I have become a devote of The Today Show.  I used to be an avid morning NPR listener, but one day I clicked on the television and Harry n Maggie won my heart.  I don't know why. Is it middle […]

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Tom Michalow events

October 21, 2009 by

Tom got the Post-Gazette endorsement. Also .. Hi Everyone, Tomorrow night the Bellvue Chamber of Commerce is holding a Meet the Candidates night at Bellvue Elementary School this is going to be an important night in this highly contested race because this is a bi-partisan event and we want to have a good showing to […]

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Some good LGBT news from the federal government

October 21, 2009 by

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is making changes to regulations that benefit LGBT families.  HUD administers public housing. According to today’s announcement, HUD will submit a proposed rule that makes three important changes to federal regulations. First, it includes language that ensures same-sex couples and their children are recognized as families […]

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Library Questions

October 21, 2009 by

Throughout the discussion over the library closures, I keep wondering why we have a beautiful new library on the Northside (total of two now) while other communities may have none.  Perhaps it was dedicated funding?  I stopped by the new Allegheny branch on Federal Street.  It is big.  I didn't see many books, but I […]

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“Off the Record” Please

October 21, 2009 by

The City Paper spilled the beans when they reported that the Mayor went far over the line: “Off the Record” gives local officials rebuttal time as “guest humorists.” And according to several witnesses who contacted us after the fact, Ravenstahl used his moment on stage to send a message to ACLU state legal director Vic […]

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Sunday

October 18, 2009 by

I did not sleep well yesterday so my critical analysis skills are limited.  For some reason, Wanda Sykes was my mail carrier and I had to fire her.  She did not take it well.  Caught this little gem in the Somerset newspaper – http://www.dailyamerican.com/articles/2009/10/17/opinion/letters_to_editor/letter259.txt Does anyone know that Hitler and Stalin were nominated for the […]