The vile reaction to a little book about a boy and his pink pants that has shocked author Brooke La Pia
An Adelaide mother and first-time author couldn’t wait to share her children’s book about a little boy with a big heart who likes to dance and wear pink pants. But then the vile reactions started on Facebook.
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An Adelaide mum is “shocked and sickened” by the online response she’s received to a book she self-published with the simple hope of bringing some joy and sparkle to little people’s lives.
Instead, Brooke La Pia has been accused of stirring a gender agenda and even inciting paedophilia.
The 36-year-old school support officer was on maternity leave when she decided to pen the short rhyming story about a little boy with a big heart who loved to dance – and wear pink pants.
Excited to see her first book – Peter Peter Loves His Pink Pants – in print, she shared it on an authors’ Facebook group but was “shocked by the backlash”.
“I was completely thrown by it … I was sickened, it was horrific. Some of the comments were extremely nasty (so) I left the group,” the mother of three said.
“The worst comments were that I should be arrested, that my book promoted paedophilia. I just wanted to connect with young children.
“It was meant to say to boys, ‘it’s OK to like the colour pink and play with dolls, if that’s what you like doing’.
“My intention wasn’t to be divisive or controversial but to share a bit of joy … I don’t want my young daughter (Alessandra, now one) to look twice at a little boy if he wants to wear a tutu, as (Peter) does in the book.
“I want kids to just embrace being who they are and doing what they like to do … I want to say, ‘I am OK and this is OK’.”
Ms La Pia – who has two older children – a girl, 11, and a boy, 13, whose names she did not share – said she’d been inspired by the young students she had met in schools in the 10 years she had worked assisting children with disabilities. One of her most scathing online critics wrote: “Seriously, this is your message to kids? It’s right to be what you are not (sic) to pretend to be something else.
“This is beyond sickening and you should be ashamed … this is a paedophile type book period.”
But there were some who came to her defence online.
“What, have kids feel safe wearing the colour pink without feeling like they’re gonna get bashed by homophobes and bigots like you? Oh yeah, really scary agenda … I think you’ve been living in a cave,” another person wrote.
Ms La Pia said the reaction of teachers she shared the book with in an online educators’ chat group also surprised her.
Some told her they wouldn’t read her story in class out of fear of how parents would react, others blasted her for trying to “force this sort of stuff” on children.
Ms La Pia said she had planned to promote the book at schools this month as part of Book Week – even buying a special pair of pink pants – but had been put off by the angry responses.
“I just thought in 2020, it would be great to have a little book like this on diversity in classrooms,” she said.