Instagram influencer hits back at online bullies over white doona dust-up
An Aussie Instagram influencer has spoken up after receiving online attacks over her post on a white doona cover.
Tasmanian woman Claire is the manager of @thekmartlover, an Instagram page that provides tips and updates on fashion and home décor featuring products from Kmart and other stores in Australia.
After posting about a white quilt cover from Kmart with the part of caption reading “white is right” on Friday, she received messages calling her “racist” and “white supremacist”.
She then replaced the line “white is right” with: “Can you beat a white quilt cover for a relaxing entrance to a bedroom? I love it!”
On Saturday, Claire spoke about the controversy on Instagram Story. “I’m not racist. I was purely talking about a bloody doona cover and it does hurt. It hurts me. I put in time to this page. It’s my page,” she said.
She shared another post addressing the controversy.
“This week I have been trolled for having too many hats and contributing to landfill. This week I have been trolled as being racist for saying ‘white is right’ about the depicted doona cover. This week I have been trolled for having too many clothes and that I should donated more, that I am wasteful, not thoughtful and that I should influence people in a far better way,” she wrote.
“I am using my voice so that hopefully this changes the mindset of one person out there that has thought about writing something negative in any online forum.”
She encouraged her 111,000 followers to support her collaboration t-shirt project with Small Print Design. For every t-shirt sold, $5 will be donated to anti-bullying organisation Bully Zero.
Claire told 10daily, “If you do not like it, then simply unfollow and use your time in another manner. Obviously a message of mine is Just Be Kind. A little kindness goes a long way.”