An Evening with LBGTQ+ Champion Carolyn Pinta

Carolyn Pinta, a champion for the LGBTQ+ community in Chicago’s Northwest Suburbs, will receive the Heart of a Lion award from Southminster Presbyterian Church of Arlington Heights on Thursday, April 23 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Hosted by the church’s Rainbow Ministry, the event will feature Pinta as the keynote speaker and the award will recognize her outstanding achievements on behalf of LGBTQ+ people.

Pinta, a Buffalo Grove resident, has been making a positive impact on LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters for the past eight years. She is co-founder of the annual Buffalo Grove Pride Parade, which has grown to more than 100 entries, 2,000 participants and crowds of thousands. Pinta also is founder of the nonprofit Pinta Pride Foundationthat raises awareness and support in suburban Northwest Chicago communities for LGBTQ+ people. Since 2022, her card-writing initiative has sent messages of love and care to thousands of LGBTQ+ people in need of affirmation and support locally and throughout the United States.

The event will open at 6:30 p.m. with light refreshments, followed by the presentation at 7 p.m. at Southminster Church, 916 E. Central Road, Arlington Heights. An elevator is available. Please contact Jan Tossman at silkpalette@gmail.com for more information.

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Southminster Church is a welcoming and affirming church for each child of God. Our family of faith celebrates everyone – all ages, races, ethnicities, gender identities, gender expressions, sexual orientations, and backgrounds. We strive to follow and serve Jesus, who teaches us to love and embrace God’s children, without exception. We are blessed by and give thanks for God’s gift of diversity in all its beautiful forms.