Greens candidate speaks out after homophobic, transphobic online attacks

A Greens candidate has been bombarded with homophobic and transphobic abuse online just hours after announcing their candidacy.

A Greens candidate was forced to shut down online comments just hours after announcing their 2025 run for the federal seat of Fowler following a wave of abuse, including being called an “abomination” over their gender identity.

Avery Howard, a non-binary, anti-poverty advocate and retail worker, made their campaign announcement on Monday morning with posts on social media outlining their commitment to tackling inequality, the cost-of-living crisis and climate change in the southwestern Sydney seat.

“Everyone deserves to have a home, food, and world-class health and education – and I’ve seen those goals get harder than ever over the last few years,” Howard said.

But within nine hours of posting the announcement, Howard was compelled to restrict replies on X due to what they described as a “staggering uptick in homophobic, transphobic and just hateful responses”.

“You know, I forgot how hateful people can be and how the worst people possible come out when you do something publicly,” they said in a follow-up post.

Greens candidate Avery Howard has been bombarded with homophobic and transphobic abuse online just hours after announcing their candidacy for Fowler in the 2025 federal election. Picture: Supplied.

The wave of abuse didn’t stop there. On Facebook, anti-vaccine and anti-lockdown campaigner Monica Smit, founder of Reignite Democracy Australia, reposted Howard’s campaign message, asking her followers to “Caption this candidate’s campaign”.

“Is this the type of person who you think can represent your values?” Smit wrote, prompting hundreds of comments, many of which attacked Howard’s appearance and gender identity.

The Facebook page Aussies Eye on Australia also reshared the campaign post, attracting a barrage of similarly hostile remarks.

Howard later posted screenshots of some of the vitriolic messages to their Instagram story with the caption: “Oh, to be a visibly queer candidate in the federal election.”

Among the comments were:

“LOL, I didn’t know there were clowns running for parliament,”

“I bet it can’t define the word woman.”

“Typical Greens f**ktard.”

“What an absolute abomination.”

Despite the flood of negativity, others have stepped in to condemn the abuse.

David Griffiths, a social media user, publicly pushed back against the personal attacks on the Aussies Eye on Australia post.

“I think it’s dangerous judging people on appearance,” Mr Griffiths wrote.

“I’ve had a lifetime of having it done to me. Got thrown out of a church because I was wearing a Metallica shirt.

“Got told at high school I would amount to nothing because of the way I dressed.

“Perfectly okay to disagree on someone’s politics, but a low blow to judge someone on their appearance.”

Howard was forced to limit social media comments. Picture: Supplied

Howard said their journey into politics began from a place of lived experience with poverty and housing insecurity.

At 17, they were moving between shelters while trying to finish year 12, relying on youth allowance to survive.

“I was living in poverty. It was incredibly stressful, demoralising and no way to succeed,” they said in 2022.

Howard said the Covid-19 pandemic, and the introduction of the coronavirus supplement, became a turning point, showing how quickly poverty could be addressed when the political will existed.

They said they were drawn to the Greens for their refusal to take corporate donations and for policies like the liveable income guarantee and a plan to build one million homes.

Howard previously ran for Fowler at the 2022 federal election and said they were standing again because “parliament can and should do more for us”.

“I want to show young people that together, we have the power to make change happen,” Howard said.

Originally published as Greens candidate speaks out after homophobic, transphobic online attacks