Pinta wants Pride flag to fly at Buffalo Grove village hall
Buffalo Grove resident Carolyn Pinta would like to see the Pride flag fly at Buffalo Grove village hall.
She made her comments at the end of Tuesday's village board meeting.
Pinta, who along with her family was instrumental in giving Buffalo Grove its first Pride Parade, said was already involved in successful efforts to get Lake County to fly the flag at the government offices in Waukegan in June.
She made two requests, the first being to have the village issue a proclamation for Pride Month on June 1.
The second was that BG Pride would like to see the Pride flag fly under the American flag at Village Hall for the month of June.
"I'm sure that a proclamation will not be an issue," she said. "But I understand the difficulties of flying the flag. Why should the Pride flag fly in June, but a flag for breast cancer awareness not fly in October? Or a flag to honor our police officers in January around National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day?"
The answer, she said, is simple.
"The Pride flag should not be the only flag to fly, and any organization should have the right to request the village board to vote on the flying of a flag."
She said she understands and, "it makes sense to me that a major concern would be that groups that do not represent good, such as Nazis or white supremacists, might apply to fly a flag. But I don't really see that as an issue, because these groups of course would have to apply with you, the village board, state their case, and then you would then have the ability to deny any group that does not stand for love, equality or acceptance of human beings."
She said it wouldn't cost the village any money.
Village President Beverly Sussman said she would refer the matter to village staff and counsel.
Pinta said, "Buffalo Grove has long been recognized as one of the best places to raise a family for many reasons, from the fine schools to the wonderful park district. But I truly believe the presence of BG Pride has made that more true than ever," she told the board.
She said families of gay, nonbinary and transgender teens are well aware of the "love and acceptance they can find in our town."
She said she knows of families who put Buffalo Grove high on the list of potential places to settle, knowing their teens would have immediate allies and "be raised in a raised in a place where being gay is a normal visible thing."
She said the BG Pride Drive held last year was an enormous success and promises to involve double the number of homes participating when it occurs on June 6.