There was a morning session “suitable for all ages” and a Living Library session for adults and “emotionally mature teens aged 14-plus”.
Libraries manager Joanna Thomas said 55 people registered for the morning session and eight people for the afternoon session.
Thomas said the event received five complaints and there were a “number of comments” on social media disagreeing with the event.
The Bay of Plenty Times has seen a post that has more than 300 comments. Some said it was inappropriate for children under 18, while others called it “normalising an adult form of entertainment and lifestyle in their innocent minds”.
Other comments in support of the event said it was making reading more fun and entertaining, while one commenter said: “I love this sooo much and am so happy my daughter will grow up in a world that celebrates everybody!! So proud to be in a city that has these kinds of events.”
Thomas said, despite the complaints, it had received a lot of support from the community, who were appreciative of the focus on the importance of diversity, inclusion, and acceptance.
“In particular, people are grateful that children growing up today are able to see that everyone should be celebrated for being themselves.
“Many responses ... beautifully articulate the importance of children seeing events like Rainbow Storytime take place in their home city.”
Thomas said people had also expressed excitement for events like this because they were “colourful and lots of fun”.
“Libraries are welcoming places for everyone in the community, including LGBTQIA+ people and their families. Pride Week is about valuing diversity, which is part of the council’s vision for an inclusive city - Tauranga Mataranui.”
Thomas said all of the library’s events involved comprehensive planning to ensure the safety of all customers, guests, and staff in attendance.
“We expect that people who do not agree with the Rainbow Storytime will not attend. However, we are prepared to handle any issues should they occur,” she said before the event.
Founder of diversity and inclusion advocacy charity YoubeYou Aotearoa, Gordy Lockhart, said after what happened in Auckland, he felt he had to message a few of his friends to come and show their presence “just in case”.
“The fact we even had to think about that is disgraceful.”
But Lockhart said it was “fabulous” to see so many young families turn up to the morning session.
“It is just a dress-up storytime,” he said.
“It is about normalising diversity in our communities. We are all individuals as human beings, and this is a living example of that. It is something that should be completely normalised.”
Sunita Torrance, known as CoCo Flash, said Rainbow Storytime supported “kindness and colour” and let people know it was okay to be “their eccentric selves”.
“We want that to be the norm, and it is okay to be our unique selves.”
Daniel Lockett, aka Erika Flash, said hearing comments and reactions such as what happened in Auckland “only fuels us to do it more”.
It was “horrible” for young people to see reactions like what happened in Auckland as “they are affected more than us”.
“That is why we are loud and proud. We want them to feel okay.”
Erika said drag was not adult entertainment.
“It is [about] bringing people in the woodworks out and being proud.”
Tauranga mothers Meg Howells and Renee Heffernan brought along their toddlers and babies to the storytime session.
“We were just looking for something different to do with the kids,” Howells said. “We thought it would be entertaining for them.”
Howells said it was also about celebrating and exposing her children to diversity.
Heffernan said it was “upsetting” to hear of the incident in Auckland and thought the session was “just a lot of fun”.
Kate McAuley said she had brought along her daughter as it looked like lots of fun.
It was more important now to show their support following what happened in Auckland, she said.
“It is important for her. Plus, she likes music, dancing and rainbows.”
