��һ�ǿ�����

Rainbow Storytime has announced the cancellation of its nationwide New Zealand tour scheduled for later in the year - with the owner of the drag queen reading group saying she has “lost everything” following recent protests.��

Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki has been protesting the group over recent months including shutting down reading events in Rotorua and Hastings.��

Hastings District Council and Rotorua Lakes Council cancelled three events combined last month, citing safety concerns and disinformation.����

The scheduled shows would have seen two��drag performers read stories��about inclusivity and acceptance to children.����

There were��widespread protests in Gisborne last month, where Destiny Church members vandalised a rainbow pedestrian crossing in retaliation to a Rainbow Storytime event that went ahead in the city’s library.��

Daniel Lockett as Erika Flash at a Rainbow Storytime NZ childrens' reading event with Sunita Torrance as Coco at a library in Hastings 2022. Photo / Wendy Schollum��

In a post to Facebook on Wednesday, Rainbow Storytime NZ wrote; “we are very upset and disappointed to announce the cancellation of the Rainbow Storytime NZ nationwide tour, which we were looking at doing later on this year.”��

“We know there will be MANY sad kids and parents out there but with the current climate and Erika Flash [drag queen Daniel Lockett] now staying on in London, we are going to press pause on everything we are doing.”��

Rainbow Storytime NZ founder Sunita Torrance did not wish to comment on the cancellation when approached by the��Herald��yesterday.��

Sunita said she had “nothing to say” and was exhausted.��

“My business is my only source of income, so I’ve lost everything.”��

She said the business was focused on “getting through” a court case, which she hopes would provide a good outcome.��

In and out of costume - Daniel Lockett and Sunita Torrance.��

Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki described the cancellation on his social media as a “victory”.��

About 350 protesters and counter-protesters��gathered outside a Gisborne library last month��while police monitored proceedings.��

Two men, aged 46 and 36, and a 45-year-old woman were charged with graffiti vandalism after the crossing was painted white the night before the event.��

In Hastings, councillors, library staff and council customer service had received a large number of messages falsely accusing the events of being a platform for the sexual grooming of young people.��

Threatening notes were also targeted at performers Torrance and Lockett, and a risk assessment was undertaken, which informed the decision to cancel the event on March 27.��

The group used white paint to the cover the rainbow crossing on Gisborne's main street.��

Auckland man Ford O’Connor, 31, married to Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki’s granddaughter,��pleaded guilty last week��to vandalising the rainbow pedestrian crossing on Auckland’s Karangahape Rd.��

O’Connor, 31, appeared in the Auckland District Court on April 15 on charges of intentionally damaging the crossing on March 28.��

He agreed to pay $16,093 for the costs of repairing the crossing.��

His lawyer, Steven Lack, said he would pay the amount in full within a month.��

O’Connor was convicted and discharged.��

The rainbow crossing on Karangahape Rd in Auckland was painted over with white paint. Photo / John Nottage / Reddit��

Before O’Connor’s court appearance, Tamaki held a press conference in front of about 40 people to voice his “unwavering support” for him.��

Tamaki said: “Today I stand alongside a young man, who is accused of wilful damage to the K Rd rainbow crossing... Mr O’Connor handed himself into the police last week and he was not arrested.��

“As I stated before, Mr O’Connor undertook a political protest against the excessive rainbow-washing that is occurring across New Zealand right now, at the expense of our taxpayers and our ratepayers.��

“This rainbow-washing has gone too far. The over-promotion and protection of this perversion is not right.��

“The R18-plus content in sexual education in our Relationships and Sex Education [RSE] curriculum in schools has still not been removed, despite election promises from parties like New Zealand First.”��

Brian Tamaki (centre) voiced his "unwavering support" for the man now convicted of wilful damage to the crossing, Ford O’Connor (left). Photo / Jason Oxenham��

Tamaki also called for the removal of what he called “the rainbow movement’s branding and paraphernalia... trying to rainbow wash our kids”.��

“We want officials to defund and remove drag queens’ story times from our schools and our libraries,” he said.��

“Ban puberty blockers, remove RSE curriculum in our schools, defund InsideOUT, the organisation targeting our young with rainbow paraphernalia.”��

O’Connor made a brief statement outside court: “I’m a father of four children so for me it was about standing up for them, making a stand to protect their innocence.”��

Tamaki said his sentencing was a “great outcome” and a “great judgment” by the court.��

The Destiny Church head also promised to keep taking action.��

This article was originally posted on the NZ Herald .��