Grace Tame wants men to stop making this misconception

The former Australian of the Year shared her shock at reading a man’s claim online, that she said categorically “never came out of my mouth”.

Grace Tame has opened up about a common misconception made about her advocacy work for child sexual abuse survivors.

In an interview with Stellar magazine as part of it’s sixth annual International Women’s Day issue, the 2021’s Australian of the Year discussed being subjected to false claims about her views on men.

Ms Tame, who has now started a new role as a L’Oréal Paris Woman of Worth, explained that while she was an advocate for women “by default”, she was keen to stress she stands for all survivors of child sexual abuse.

Grace Tame said the idea she is a ‘man hater’ simply isn’t true. Picture: Supplied

“There are a lot of male survivors of child sexual abuse, and male survivors are among my best friends. I’ve never once said, ‘I hate men’,” she told Stellar.

“And yet yesterday I read this thing from this man who said, ‘Oh, from here where I’m sitting, you’re just a man hater.’

“I’ve never, never, never had the words ‘I hate men’ come out of my mouth, so I find it really, really hard being in the space.

“I do my darnedest to be the best advocate I can possibly be of the survivor community, which very much includes boys.”

Ms Tame and Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Ms Tame said it was important to “equally” recognise and support male child abuse survivors, while still acknowledging the extra challenges female survivors faced.

“So while we must always equally acknowledge, protect and advocate for our boys, and men who are fellow survivors of child sexual abuse, all of these things can be done while recognising that there are added layers of compounding disadvantage built into the experience of being a female, which must be addressed,” she said.

Ms Tame also spoke about her friendship with Brittany Higgins, saying she supported the former Liberal staffer “at all costs” after bonding over their shared experience.

Brittany Higgins and Grace Tame at the National Press Club last month. Picture: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images.

“I stand with Brittany. I support Brittany at all costs. But the common thread is [the way the complaints have been handled]. There’s the protecting the institutional image over the wellbeing of an individual [who makes a complaint], which is inexcusable. It’s unforgivable,” she said.

“We can add it to the long list of reasons that I was not going to compromise my principles and smile at the Prime Minister who has excused all of these things for the sake of civility. No.

“My friendship with Brittany is important because there are people who experience the limelight [in the way she and I have] And so to have somebody who understands that very unique experience is invaluable.”

Read Grace Tame’s full interview in Stellar, available now in The Sunday Telegraph, Sunday Herald Sun and The Sunday Mail.