23rd June, 2026.
I recently attended The Blue Butterfly Institute's High Tea, A Seat at the Table: The Male Experience, where guest speakers did something quite extraordinary: they told their stories. People don't realise men can be victims of sexual trauma, and for too long silence has been their only option. Behind the silence, shame and misunderstanding that too often surrounds men's emotions are the real people in our community - the fathers, sons, brothers and neighbours. Enormous heartfelt thanks to Founder and Director Tina Meyer and team of Blue Butterfly Institute volunteers. These are full-time professionals who give their time freely to advocate for survivors, support their healing journeys, and educate our community. What they do matters enormously. They are creating the safe spaces our community needs. We were honoured to welcome and hear from Reuben Williams, Founder of SportsGrad and an advocate for sexual assault survivors, as one of our guest speakers for this important conversation. In Wollondilly we have men in coal mining, construction, emergency services and more — communities where "man up" has too often been the only response to pain. That has to change, and The Blue Butterfly Institute is making that change happen.
