Chinn was a founding member of Lesbians in the Visual Arts and Queer Cultural Center (QCC) and served on the San Francisco Human Rights Commission.
[citation needed] When Chinn was two years old, her family moved to the Richmond District of San Francisco.
[2] Because of their position as a minority in a primarily Caucasian area, the family taught Lenore and her younger brother about Chinese stereotypes.
[5] Chinn moved to the Castro District in the 1980s and became involved in activist groups, including the Harvey Milk Club.
[1][4] In 1991 Chinn joined the Asian American Women Artists Association (AAWAA), based in San Francisco.