Carol Lynn Pearson Receives First Affirmation Lifetime Achievement Award

Carol Lynn Pearson with the Lifetime Achievement Award

During the 2020 Affirmation International Conference, held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, conference attendees were pleased to hear author and activist Carol Lynn Pearson speak. Following her talk, Affirmation President Nathan Kitchen surprised Carol Lynn by presenting her with the first Affirmation lifetime achievement award, which going forward will be called the Affirmation Carol Lynn Pearson Lifetime Achievement Award.

Speaking about the award, Nathan explained:

“The Board of Directors of Affirmation realized that occasionally we come across a person who has had a lifetime impact with such a remarkable scope in the LGBTQ community and society in general. These are instances where someone has demonstrated outstanding leadership and service to Affirmation, donating a sizable amount of time. This is someone who has promoted a positive engagement within their own community such as faith, their work, and personal communities for the advancement of LGBTQ people. This is a person who has fostered intersectional awareness, inclusivity, healing, and self-acceptance of LGBTQ people regardless of their faith journey. People like this have supported diversity, impartiality, non-discrimination, inclusivity, gender equality, as well as cultural competency outside of the LGBTQ space. And this person has created content that is captured for the record in print, audio, or visual effect magnifying their impact over time. To recognize such a person and capture such an accomplishment, the Board of Directors of Affirmation has created a lifetime achievement award. This award, to remind us of the qualities for any other future recipients, we have named the Carol Lynn Pearson Lifetime Achievement Award.”

In receiving the award, Carol Lynn Pearson expressed her gratitude saying, “That’s an honor I dreamt not of. The thought of my name moving forward like that. I thank you for that. I am truly grateful for this forced beautiful opportunity that I have had to participate in a very intimate kind of way with so many beautiful people whose beauty has not been recognized by others.”

Watch the presentation of the first Affirmation Carol Lynn Pearson Lifetime Achievement Award by playing the video below.

The Carol Lynn Pearson Lifetime Achievement Award will be given from time to time as individuals meeting the qualities shared by Nathan are identified. In addition, Affirmation will continue to annually seek nominees for the Mortensen Award, which is given to those whose leadership, commitment to service, and inspiring example as a member of Affirmation makes a real difference in the lives of others and in the mission of the organization.