Drag queens take Brian Tamaki to court for defamation
Thursday, 27 June 2024
Brian Tamaki and 11 of his Destiny Church associates are being taken to court for defamation.
Drag queens Erika and Coco Flash said their business had suffered due to a “crusade” of abuse aimed toward their Rainbow Storytime tour, which they were forced to cancel.
The pair are seeking around $2 million in damages.
Two drag performers are taking Brian Tamaki and 11 Destiny Church members to court over claims their hateful comments were defamatory and damaging to business.
Daniel Lockett and Sunita Torrance, also known as drag queens Erika and Coco Flash, claim Tamaki and 11 Destiny Church associates “mounted a crusade” of hate against their entertainment business Haus of Flash and its Rainbow Storytime tour.
Torrance, who filed the claim at the Auckland High Court on Thursday, said their performances involved dressing up in colourful outfits and reading magical stories to children and their parents, to promote messages of kindness, anti-bullying and inclusion.
“Our Rainbow Storytime show was a hit. We were in great demand and were always very popular with our audiences.”
Tamaki and Destiny Church have been vocal in their protest against the Rainbow Storytime tours, claiming the performances were “sexualising children”.
“Their constant threats and very worrying intimidation and bullying tactics have forced us to cancel all of our shows and has badly been impacting on my business,” Torrance told media.
“But this is not just about business, this is about hate speech versus free speech.”
“This is about one eyed bigotry versus diversity and inclusion and hate versus acceptance.”
Taranaki-based Torrance added that Lockett had since moved to London to get away from the hate.
The civil suit claimed Tamaki and his associates had defamed the drag queens by making public statements comparing their performances to child abuse, grooming and predatory behaviours.
The suit also claimed the actions of Tamaki and the church had forced the cancellation of contracts Haus of Flash had with various entities, such as libraries.
Tamaki and the church are also accused of publishing disinformation and hateful comments against Torrance and Lockett with the intention of damaging the business interests of Haus of Flash.
The drag queens are seeking overall damages of about $2 million. They are fundraising to cover their court costs via Givealittle.
The drag queens’ lawyer, Christopher Griggs said that if successful, he hoped the case would act as a deterrent against similar behaviour against the rainbow and drag community.
“There is a price to be paid for telling vicious lies about people.”
Fellow drag performer Medulla Oblongata said it was important to have Torrance, a rainbow ally, stand up for queer rights.
“Heterosexual people take other heterosexual people more seriously.
“Someone’s vouching for us, and I think that’s important.”
They said it felt “awful” to be on the receiving end of hateful, homophobic comments.
“They’re cancelling our events left, right and centre… They’re trying eradicate us from public life.”
Oblongata was performing in a drag storytime at the Avondale Library in 2023 when protesters “stormed” the library and screamed at them through the windows.
“The kids were there for a show but at the same time they were terrified by the things happening outside. We had to calm them down by being extra fabulous.”
In a statement, Tamaki said the presence of drag queens in libraries was an issue affecting New Zealand’s “moral fabric”.
“Say what you want, take me to court, this ongoing protest action is necessary to protect our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.”
While he believed in free speech, Tamaki said it wasn’t a licence for “anything goes” at the expense of “exposing children to inappropriate content”.
He described drag queens as “twisted people targeting our innocent children”.
“These are not the role models we want in front of our children. This is why this country is in a mess.
“I believe a lot of good, common-sense Kiwis are on my side with this issue.”
What are rainbow story times?
Generally during drag queen story times, children are read books about acceptance and inclusion, with a diverse range of characters.
The art of drag can be performed by all genders and often includes an exaggeration of gender expression. The performances for children are typically flamboyant, but not sexual in nature.