Drag Stories at Hastings Library to go ahead next week despite Brian Tamaki protest threats

Hastings District Council says a Rainbow Storytime event with Erika and CoCo Flash at the Hastings Library will go ahead next week despite protest threats from Brian Tamaki of the Destiny Church. Photo / NZ Herald

An event in Hastings next week at which drag performers will read stories to children about inclusivity and acceptance will go ahead despite threats from Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki to shut it down.

Hastings District Council (HDC) said it was aware of a possible protest and that Rainbow Storytime events with drag queens Erika and CoCo Flash at the Hastings Library on March 27 would still go ahead as planned.

“At this point, the Rainbow Storytime event is still planned to go ahead, but council continues to review community feedback and potential safety concerns in relation to the event,” a spokesperson said.

Sunita Torrance – stage name Coco – is the drag queen performer behind the Rainbow Storytime readings.

Torrance and Daniel Lockett (Erika Flash) are based in Taranaki. The events see them dress in drag and read children’s books.

Earlier this week, Rotorua Library’s similar Rainbow Storytime event was cancelled because of security concerns amid “hostile dialogue” and “rapid spread of misinformation”, according to the Rotorua Lakes Council.

Tamaki pledged to shut down the string of events last week, prompting calls for a counter-protest to protect attendees. Two Rotorua Lakes Council elected members clashed over differing views of the event.

“Many good people have been trying to get these shut down for a while now, but I’m happy to lend my assistance to this cause, to finally make that possible. They are inappropriate as they sexualise our Kiwi children,” Tamaki told the Herald.

“I now have set my sights on events planned at the Gisborne Library and Hastings Library next week.”

In a tweet on X, Tamaki said HDC had told him the library’s three rainbow-related events would cost $1200 plus GST, funded by ratepayers.

The HDC spokesperson said safety measures were already in place at the library. The council was also working with police in the lead-up to the event.

“As part of business as usual, council employs kaitiaki on a daily basis at the Hastings Library, and they are supported by a network of CCTV cameras in and around the building. In addition, City Assist ambassadors regularly visit the library.

“If it’s deemed safe and the event goes ahead, these kaitiaki and City Assist will be present on the day.”

It is not the first time the event has been held in Hastings. The library first hosted Erika and Coco in August 2020 and again in 2022 with “a lot of great feedback”.

“In its programming, council’s library services promote tolerance and inclusion and embrace diversity with programming that caters for as many people as possible,” the spokesperson said.

“The programme has been designed for young children and does not push any sexual identity agenda. Importantly, it is a matter of choice for parents whether they want their children to attend or not.”

Torrance, who was brought up in the Destiny Church, told the Herald that, since news of Tamaki’s protest plans had been made public, she and Lockett had been abused and threatened.

“This is about the children. We do this for the kids and it’s child-friendly.

“We had 80 people registered for Rotorua; they are the ones who will miss out. I created this curriculum on my own, and it’s about children reading and having fun.”