Pies as born in Los Angeles and grew up in the San Fernando Valley of California.
She graduated from Birmingham High School, and then received her bachelor's degree from Berkeley in 1971.
[1] Pies was known for her work on lesbian parenthood and for inequalities in access to health care.
In the 1970s Pies worked with Planned Parenthood and was giving workshops for people considering parenting.
[6] She collaborated with Michael Lu at Berkeley to study health conditions in financially-challenged neighborhoods.