A story about the ‘rainbowing’ of a smalltown library in New Zealand, and one woman who challenged that.

Recently, upon someone’s recommendation, a woman from a small town here in New Zealand reached out to ask me if I might be able to help her sort a rainbow affliction at her local library. I can’t use her real name here, or the name of the town she lives in, because transactivists, transmaidens, and transbros walk amongst us. I think that’s all that has to be said to understand the need for protection. Therefore, I shall call her Paula, and her town will be referred to as Panga (Māori for riddle/puzzle).

Paula didn’t think that Panga’s library should be blatantly displaying rainbow ribbons and badges in a bowl on the front counter, or have rainbow-painted the outdoor seat, nor the free books box. Her initial concern was for children being exposed to this each time they visited the library, knowing how susceptible they are to suggestion, and what can result from that. Paula felt that rainbowing-up the library with enduring displays and fixtures, was aligning itself with indoctrination about gender ideology, when libraries should be impartial and neutral spaces.

A library’s neutrality is vital to a community; it’s a place where we rub shoulders with everyone. Although we expect and appreciate a variety of temporary displays in libraries which reflect the world we live in, both near and far, no ongoing bias towards any one group should be visible to its users. When enduring displays and fixtures are introduced, which promote one group of people only, that becomes a demonstration of bias which is not acceptable.

When Paula complained to the library staff about the permanent appearance of the rainbow displays and fixtures, she was told to put it in writing. This is a common request, and often kills many complaints right there on the spot. However, it didn’t stop Paula. She reached out for assistance, and found her way to me through word of mouth. I was happy to help, as the corruption of neutrality in our libraries with their enduring neo-rainbow (as I think of them) displays and fixtures creates a sense of unease within many of us.

So, I helped to draft the below letter, which Paula sent it to the library -

“Dear ….

Re: rainbow paraphernalia and insignia at the library counter.

I do not consider it appropriate to display rainbow paraphernalia and insignia at the library as a fixture. Whilst temporary displays may be appropriate to celebrate cultures, countries, and activities at different times, a permanent display – whatever it’s comprised of - which shows favouritism to one group over others is inappropriate. A library is a public space where all who go there should feel welcome. As such, no preference for any one group, or people, should be visibly displayed as a permanent feature.

Rainbow paraphernalia and insignia at the library counter as a permanent feature indicates partisanship by the library. It is improper for the library to do that. No one who walks through the library door should be confronted by anything but it being a place of shared neutrality.

Communities are made up of a wide variety of people and groups, and a library serves them all. No one group should demonstrably occupy pride of place on a permanent basis in a library, by way of insignia and paraphernalia specific to them. This conveys a message that the library favours one group over others, and that is not a role it should take on.

Therefore, I request that the library removes any rainbow paraphernalia and insignia which is not part of a temporary display. To continue to display it shows that the library lacks neutrality, which could be inferred as an intent to indoctrinate library users with rainbow ideology, which children are particularly vulnerable to. This is an unacceptable position for the library to be perceived as having.

Thank you”

Much to her surprise, Paula got a phone call from the District Mayor soon after, who asked for photos, and expressed concern that ratepayers’ money was spent on such things. On her next visit to the library shortly afterwards, Paula noticed that the rainbow ribbons and badges, and a little sign about ‘LBGTQ friendliness’ had been removed from the counter. She followed that up with another missive to the library asking what their intention was re: the more permanent fixtures of the outdoor seat and free books box.

The response Paula received was to advise her that the idea to “reinvigorate the benches outside our library” had been picked up upon the library team’s visit to the Far North Libraries, and that “Community support for the rainbow bench has been incredibly positive”. Work on the benches [it appears that another one may be intended to be rainbow-painted, as well] was a combination of being paid for by the New Zealand National Library, and freely given by a local organisation and a business. So, “You can see that no ratepayer’s funds were used and it was a good community effort,” the library assured Paula.

Whilst ratepayers’ money mightn’t have been used, taxpayers’ money was used via the New Zealand National Library.

I think it’s lovely that some of the work was provided for free by locals. In all likelihood, they either knew nothing about what the colours represented, or were only aware of the superficial “be kind” narrative promulgated by the mainstream media and TQ+ lobby groups. Most people want to be accommodating to everyone in society, and nothing is more fashionable at the moment than getting one’s empathy buzz from showing kindness to the ‘rainbow community’.

It can be difficult sometimes to know how far to continue a complaint without tarnishing the use and enjoyment of the public service with it. Those who are indoctrinated with neo-rainbow ideology are as obdurate as all heck about ceasing the permeation of it all throughout their organisations, and are notoriously difficult to get to budge on that. So, in the spirit of not wanting to have a protracted argument with a service she loves, Paula sent one last email –

“Hi ….., thank you for your reply.

I think you and I both know that any bright colours would elicit the same positive responses from the community upon seeing the formerly shabby seat freshly painted. However, you chose colours which convey subliminal messaging to the community at large that the library specifically favours the ‘rainbow’ community. The same messaging is apparent on the free books box.

Those in the community who don’t support the library’s display of favouritism towards the ‘rainbow’ community over others, are much less likely to tell you this than those who know they will be rewarded with a smile and a “thank you” for their comments of support. The silence of others does not automatically mean they like the colours the seat has been painted, although some may consider anything to be an improvement on the shabby state it had been allowed to deteriorate to.

Why was the seat not kept in a decent state before the library team visited the Far North Libraries, from where the idea to paint it in ‘rainbow’ colours was picked up? Did the state of it not matter, until the realisation that it could be used to promote the ‘rainbow’ community occurred to the team?

As I mentioned previously, it’s vital for the library to be a sanctuary of impartiality and neutrality, where everyone can rub shoulders with each other no matter who we are, especially in today’s world. Therefore, I do not expect the library, including the New Zealand National Library, to spend any more ratepayers or taxpayers’ money on enduring fixtures or promotions which favour the ‘rainbow’ community over others. This display of bias by the library is not appropriate in a place that is for all the community to feel at home in, whoever they may be."

If there’s a reply, it will likely be in the vein of the usual obfuscation. We know the juggernaut that the neo-rainbow has become, so whether or not Paula’s above communications will slow down the onslaught in Panga’s library, or not, remains to be seen. Nothing may penetrate the neo-rainbow indoctrination at this precise point in time, but staying silent is a sure guarantee to achieve nothing, as well.

In my lifetime, I have never known any Public Service in NZ to consciously display their bias with permanent fixtures, displays, and policies towards any one group in the community over others before now. It’s not appropriate, and if it was anything other than the neo-rainbow, would it be tolerated?