Alex Greenwich launches legal attack on Mark Latham over homophobic slurs

Sydney MP Alex Greenwich has launched an extraordinary three-pronged legal attack on One Nation’s Mark Latham after the political firebrand refused to apologise for a series of homophobic and sexualised slurs.

Greenwich has made a formal complaint to NSW Police and Anti-Discrimination NSW on the grounds of homosexual vilification and has also initiated defamation proceedings after Latham tweeted a highly graphic and offensive comment aimed at Greenwich, who is gay.

Mark Latham (left) last week doubled down on his comments, and maintained he would not apologise to Alex Greenwich.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer

Latham last week doubled down on his comments, which the party’s figurehead Pauline Hanson condemned, and maintained he would not apologise.

Greenwich’s legal assault could have a significant impact on Latham’s ability to remain in parliament if he is charged with “using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence”, the criminal offence cited by Greenwich in his formal complaint to Police Commissioner Karen Webb.

That offence carries a potential five-year jail term, and under the NSW Constitution, a member of parliament from either house can be disqualified from office if convicted “of an offence for life or for a term of 5 years or more”.

Greenwich said he took the extraordinary legal steps against Latham because “enough is enough”.

One Nation’s federal leader Pauline Hanson condemned Mark Latham’s comments.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

“I’ve been openly gay in public life for 15 years and in parliament for over 10 years, and never have I experienced such a homophobic, sexualised attack that exposed me to contempt, ridicule and extreme abuse, based on my sexuality,” Greenwich said.

Latham made the comments in March in response to a Herald and Age article in which Greenwich called the former Labor leader “a disgusting human being”. The article was about LGBTQI protesters who were targeted outside a candidates’ forum which Latham addressed during the state election campaign.

Hanson swiftly condemned the homophobic comments describing them as “disgusting” and demanded that Latham apologise to voters. She said she had unsuccessfully tried to contact Latham.

“I want you to know that I don’t condone them [the comments] and neither do my members of parliament or party associates,” Hanson told her supporters in a Facebook message on March 30.

After maintaining his silence for 24 hours, Latham tweeted “never apologise, never explain” before issuing a statement to News Corp in which he said: “Sometimes in public life when you throw out insults they come back at you harder and truer … So boo-hoo Alex Greenwich.”

His comments were widely condemned, with Premier Chris Minns pushing for a bipartisan agreement to block the One Nation NSW leader from having any additional powers in the new parliament.

Last week, Latham – who was re-elected on March 25 to the upper house for an eight-year term – did an interview with radio host Chris Smith’s online show, where he doubled down on his comments about Greenwich and refused to apologise. He also disputed that Hanson had tried to contact him.

Latham told Smith that being labelled a “disgusting human being is as extreme as you can get” and said: “I took it as an attack on my love of my children, the role in my community, my work in public life.”

“After a week of copping it on Twitter, I told him [Greenwich] what I thought and I speak for a lot of straight men,” Latham said, before insisting heterosexual men would agree with his views on homosexuality.

Latham was contacted for comment on Greenwich’s legal action. A concerns notice relating to the defamation proceedings was sent to Latham on April 19.

Greenwich said he was also taking action for “young and old LGBTQIA+ people who face regular abuse.”

“It’s 2023 and LGBTQIA+ Australians shouldn’t have to put up with abuse that targets our sexuality, character, or ability to do our jobs,” Greenwich said.

Greenwich said he would also instruct his legal team to approach Twitter about its platform seemingly allowing “extreme homophobia, transphobia, racism and religious bigotry”.

His lawyer, Nicholas Stewart, said Greenwich was “taking legal action to put a stop to what is a targeted personal attack on him and perceptions of our community.”

“Mr Greenwich is putting his foot down. He is sick of the hatred and ridicule directed at himself and the wider LGBTQIA+ community,” Stewart said.

“Most members of the LGBTQIA+ community have experienced some form of harassment or violence because of their identity. You only have to look at the recent incidents of hate speech and violence on Oxford Street and the vile homophobia and transphobia on social media to see that the LGBTQIA+ community is vulnerable.”

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