ABC managing director Hugh Marks has defended the broadcaster’s decision to hire Grace Tame for a new publicly funded podcast, despite anger from sections of the Jewish community over her past comments about Israel.
Tame’s new series, Autistic AF, launched on the ABC last week. Marks said the broadcaster had locked in Tame as host before the controversy around her remarks emerged.
“When we engaged for the project, that was actually some time ago, so it was before those particular comments that were made, and it was certainly also before, I think, the much-quoted interview that she did with Hamish Macdonald and Sydney Mornings were also made,” Marks said.
He acknowledged the strength of public feeling around the appointment, saying: “Obviously, I understand why people feel Grace shouldn’t have a program on the ABC, given the controversy that’s reported and associated with many of her comments.
“But I think if you look at the program itself, it’s a great podcast that she’s done a great job on, a topic that I’m sure will be of real interest and real importance to many Australians who suffer from those conditions, and particularly young Australians and young Australian women.”
Marks also responded to comments from ABC presenter Charlie Pickering, who said he personally believed Tame’s appointment was problematic. Marks said: “We’ve looked at Charlie’s comments, I think he did express that they were his own view, they weren’t represented at the ABC.”
Pickering, who converted to Judaism before marrying his Jewish-American wife Sarah Krasnostein, made clear that his concern was personal rather than official.
“I do actually think it’s problematic – that’s my personal opinion,” Pickering said when asked by Rebel News about Tame’s remarks.
“And as you would understand, and as a Jewish Australian, there is a complete misunderstanding about a lot of words that were said and the true meaning of them.
“People are using words and phrases that have meaning well beyond they think they do.”
The backlash has also been sharpened by criticism from Alex Ryvchin, executive officer of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, who argued the ABC’s decision sends the wrong signal.
“It seems the ABC has determined that Grace Tame is fit for employment at public expense after screaming chants widely interpreted as calling for global attacks on Jews and a radio interview in which she doubled down on her comments questioning the widespread pack rape and sexual torture committed by Hamas, which the terrorists themselves never denied.
“Everyone deserves a second chance but Tame has shown no remorse or regret whatsoever.
“The effect of this is to legitimise her violent views and sends a message that her obscene conduct carries no consequences and even brings public contracts.”
The criticism follows months of controversy surrounding Tame’s public comments on the Israel-Gaza conflict. She drew condemnation after leading a chant to “globalise the intifada”, a phrase some see as support for Palestinian resistance against Israel and others interpret as incitement to violence against Jews.
She also came under fire after a March interview with ABC Sydney Mornings host Hamish Macdonald. During the exchange, Macdonald put forward a listener’s question asking why she appeared “selective in her outrage” and said they had never heard her condemn Israeli women raped and killed by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
Tame replied: “I’m not going to sink to the level of … of entertaining any kind of propaganda, Hamish. Let’s not do that.”
Macdonald asked: “What’s the ‘propaganda’ included in that question?”
Tame responded: “Those things have been debunked. Violence is happening on both sides, but this is not a fair fight. We’re not talking about two equal cohorts, even marginally.”
Macdonald then challenged that claim, saying: “So the UN Special Representative on sexual violence and in conflict has said that there are reasonable grounds to believe that conflict-related sexual violence occurred. Are you saying that that is propaganda?”
Tame answered: “Awful things are being perpetrated by both sides. But this is not about what about it. This is not about selective outrage. I’m outraged by all of the violence.”
Her ABC role also comes after she revealed she had lost speaking engagements for the rest of the year following her comments about October 7.
In Autistic AF, Tame discusses the experiences of autistic women and gender-diverse people, including her own challenges with food and sound sensitivity and the practice known as “masking”.
“Masking is effectively hiding or changing your traits, needs or interests in order to navigate a world designed primarily for neurotypical people,” she told ABC presenter Yumi Stynes in the first episode.
“The toll of masking can be catastrophic, because those needs still need to be met.
“I used alcohol and drugs as a coping strategy, which is sadly normalised and easily accessible. Now I turn to running and cycling to regulate my emotions.
“Exercise has been a really effective tool for emotional regulation and trauma recovery, and it also allows me to socialise in a way that doesn’t require small talk.”
