Love beats hate: Taranaki author Helen Griffiths makes donation to Rainbow Storytime New Zealand

Author Helen Griffiths (right) with the Rainbow reading New Zealand team. Photo / supplied

Love will always beat hate when it comes to dealing with keyboard warriors, says local author Helen Griffiths.

Helen says she was horrified to see the criticism and abuse thrown at the team behind Rainbow Storytime New Zealand, for "simply sharing books with children".

An image of Daniel Lockett and Sunita Torrance performing as drag sisters Erika and CoCo Flash reading a copy of Helen's book, Treasure beyond Measure, to a group of children received a flurry of abusive and angry comments when it was posted on a New Plymouth District Council Facebook page recently, she says.

"I love what they (Erika and CoCo) do, and I truly appreciate the support they give me as a New Zealand author."

Helen decided to fight the negativity with positivity by announcing she would donate all the profits from sales of her book over the month of June to Rainbow Storytime New Zealand.

It was apt, she says, as June is internationally recognised as Pride month; a month dedicated to the uplifting of LGBTQIA+ voices, and celebration of LGBTQIA+ culture and the support of LGBTQIA+ rights.

She posted this intention on the social media page of New Zealand shopping platform Chooice, hoping to promote sales of the book and maximise the donation she could make to Rainbow Storytime New Zealand.

Sadly, the post quickly attracted a number of negative and hate-filled comments which the administrators of the page had to delete, eventually closing the comments completely.

"But not before I had been called narcissistic, nuts, and I was even being sent private messages about it."

Thankfully, she says, there has also been a lot of love shown, with people buying the book during Pride month to help support Rainbow Storytime New Zealand.

In total, $500 was raised, which Helen was delighted to personally hand over to Erika and CoCo Flash ahead of the pair's busy July schedule where they will be out and about in South Taranaki libraries for Rainbow Storytime sessions.

The pair say they will put the $500 towards doing another Rainbow Storytime tour in 2023, "because we can't stop, won't stop!"

Need to know:
What: Rainbow Storytime
Where and when:
Tuesday, July 12: Hāwera LibaryPlus - 10.30am, Eltham LibaryPlus - 1pm, Kaponga LibaryPlus - 2.30pm
Wednesday, July 13: Pātea LibraryPlus - 10.30am. Waverley LibaryPlus - 2pm
Thursday, July 14: Manaia LibraryPlus - 10am, Ōpunakē LibraryPlus - noon.