A London Labour-led council has been slammed over a children’s reading campaign in their libraries involving a “Rainbow Dildo Butt Monkey.”
Redbridge Borough Council in London hosted an event on Saturday by Mandinga Arts, a troupe of street performers that has a “a distinctive style bringing together live music, carnival, street costume, puppetry and dance, drawing on diverse influences from Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa,” according to its website. The event, with walkabout characters, was designed to seemingly encourage children to read, but included one man in a bright costume with a dildo attached to it and naked buttocks in the style of a monkey.
The event quickly gained traction on social media, with Janice Turner, a journalist for the Times, succinctly describing the man in the costume as a “Rainbow Dildo Butt Monkey,” which then became the moniker for the grotesque display.
I mean how many librarian/councillor eyes had to behold the Rainbow Dildo Butt Monkey before he was released into the wild to delight the children of Redbridge? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/SbkDerdDZb
— Janice Turner (@VictoriaPeckham) July 11, 2021
Can a word capture the spirit of an age? Images certainly can. In future, when we think back on the zeitgeist of 2021, we may remember Rainbow Dildo Butt Monkey, and wonder how on earth we descended to thinking that this was suitable entertainment for children. pic.twitter.com/rleD1rQoR4
— Dr Jane Harris (@blablafishcakes) July 12, 2021
With the backlash growing, Vision, the Culture and Leisure department at Redbridge Council, maintained a defence of the Rainbow Dildo Butt Monkey, commenting “if you’ve got it, flaunt it,” on social media, and seemingly blocking concerned constituents who complained. Council leader Jas Athwal, who later described the event as “disgusting,” initially tersely responded to those raising complaints, saying he wouldn’t “take lectures from a Johnny come lately.”
No it's not. As soon as I learned of this I took immediate action. I contacted Vision & they have have confirmed that all subsequent events have been cancelled. I will deal with this Monday morning. This was a couple of hours ago will not take lectures from a Johnny come lately.
— Jas Athwal (@Jas_Athwal) July 10, 2021
Wes Streeting, the Labour MP for Ilford North, slammed the event in a public letter. “I cannot understand how anyone involved – including your staff – thought that a costume described by one national journalist – with depressing accuracy – as a ‘Rainbow Dildo Butt Monkey’ was appropriate for family audiences around our libraries and public realm, let alone a festival aimed at promoting literacy amongst children,” Streeting said.
“This episode has caused significant damage to the reputation of our Council and the Borough. It has also left parents questioning whether our libraries are safe places for children to be,” he continued. “It is deeply troubling to me that Vision staff who saw the monkey and broadcast it across social media could not see what was so blindingly obvious to the rest of us.”
Mandinga Arts issued a mealy-mouthed “apology” for the event, only apologising for the offence caused, and not the fact that the costume was shoved into the faces of children as part of a reading campaign. Further disturbing costumes were dug up from the art collective on social media, including a “wolf pack” who describe themselves as “kid friendly canines” who “roam the town looking for a new master” and like nothing better than to be stroked, and “golden love birds” who also are made happy by “a gentle stroke.” At the time of writing, the website has been removed.
Investigations also revealed that the event was funded in part by the British government’s coronavirus recovery fund, with Vision receiving £740,000 of taxpayer’s money. An archive of the Mandinga Arts website show that they themselves are too funded by public money, being supported by Arts Council England to an unknown sum.
Redbridge Libraries has previously hosted Drag Queen Story Hour events last year, which was specially done for “LGBT+ History Month.” Drag Queen Story Hours have been promoted by various leftist organisations, and has come under fierce criticism from conservatives. The official UK Drag Queen Story Hour Twitter account last year was locked after drawing fury from various social media users due to a post containing a pro-pedophilia message.
