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.

Other Gay Stuff You Might Want to Know

Other Gay Stuff You Might Want to Know

I was very depressed after picking up this week's City Paper.  The feature article on recycling was the slap in the face you really need even though it hurts like a bitch.  Bill Driscoll confirms my deep seeded fear that the majority of my do-gooder efforts are essentially pointless because I take the easy way […]

Additions to the Delta Foundation Board

Additions to the Delta Foundation Board

Pittsburgh's Delta Foundation recently announced the addition of two new board members.  Cindy Daro was elected by the Foundation membership.  Keri Harmicar was appointed by the existing board members.  Both were gracious enough to respond to a few questions about their new roles in our community. 1.  What role do you see the Delta Foundation […]

Obituary – Randy Forrester

Obituary – Randy Forrester

With hopes of forgiveness from the Post-Gazette, this should be read by all. Randal G. “Randy” Forrester was 16 when he came out as a gay man to his parents, and likewise was open about his sexuality with his friends and classmates. That was in 1963, when society's attitudes about homosexuality were in the Stone […]

The GLCC wants your sex toys

The GLCC wants your sex toys

Seriously. The GLCC is exploring a new program to provide safer sex educational tools and resources.  This arose from a recent presentation to a class of medical students where it became apparent that the students were not familiar with certain sex toys, suggesting that they would not be in a position to educate their patients.  […]

RIP: Pittsburgh’s Queer Community Loses Two Important Members

RIP:  Pittsburgh’s Queer Community Loses Two Important Members

Today brought sad news to, well, me and many other individuals in the LGBTQ community.  First, came word that one of the godfathers of Pittsburgh's modern queer community had passed away at the age of 60.  Randy Forrester (I'll insert the obit when it is published tomorrow) has been hailed for man things:  founding Persad […]

Obama addresses PA Marriage Amendment

Obama addresses PA Marriage Amendment

Well, he finally has something to say about attempts to amend the PA Constitution. “If I were in the state legislature, I would oppose it, Obama said. Obama's silence on the proposed amendment to the state's constitution has proven worrisome to local gay rights groups who have largely thrown their support behind Hillary Clinton and […]

Update on the Dyke March

Update on the Dyke March

Here's the word from one of the organizers Eli.  [B]asically we want to make this year the best! We are branching out we want all women at the DYKE MARCH! No corporate sponsership! I am working on the route it will be held Downtown Betty Hill will speak cuz shes awesome and a few local […]

I’m voting for Hillary and it was the rich, white gay men who won me over

Today, I made up my mind that I am supporting and voting for Hillary Clinton.  I'm sure no one is surprised.  I've made a good faith effort to get excited about Barack Obama.  I wanted to be a believer.  But it just didn't happen.  The preacher in him turns me off. Here's what it comes […]

Pittsburgh is a great place to be gay

Pittsburgh is a great place to be gay

In honor of the Primary Pittsburgh Project,  I'd like to take a few inches of this blog to review why I think this is a great place for the LGBTQ/gay/queer community. First, the City of Pittsburgh has codified our civil rights and civil protections.  It is illegal to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, […]

The Gay Bar Crawls: I didn’t go but here is what I think

The Gay Bar Crawls:  I didn’t go but here is what I think

Philadelphia's gay bars were visited by Chelsea Clinton and Ed Rendell last night.  Pittsburgh's gay bars got actors from Queer as Folk.  Philadelphia's bar crawl was covered by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  I haven't seen anything about Pittsburgh's bar crawl.  Did it even register? Is there any PA politician that could make a believable bar crawl […]