Latham Claims His Anti-Gay Tweets ‘Enhanced’ Sydney MP Alex Greenwich’s Reputation

One Nation MLC Mark Latham has claimed that his vile homophobic tweets “enhanced” out gay Independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich’s reputation. 

Trigger Warning: This story discusses homophobic comments, which might be distressing to some readers. For 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.

Latham made the statement in response to a defamation case filed against him by Greenwich over the MLC’s homophobic tweets and comments to the Daily Telegraph newspaper. Latham further claimed that his anti-gay tweets were his “honest opinion” and were made in response to Greenwich calling him a “disgusting human being”. 

In his defamation complaint before the federal court, Greenwich said Latham’s homophobic tweets, which included anti-gay and “grooming” slurs led to him being targeted with a barrage of hateful and threatening online messages. 

‘Disgusting’

Latham made the comments after Greenwich slammed him over the attacks on peaceful LGBTQI protestors by around 250 far-right Christian men outside a Belfield Church where the One Nation leader was due to give a speech in March 2023. 

Greenwich told Nine Newspapers that Latham was “a disgusting human being and people who are considering voting for One Nation need to realise they are voting for an extremely hateful and dangerous individual who risks causing a great deal of damage to our state.” 

On March 30, 2023, Latham tweeted: “Disgusting? How does that compare with sticking your dick up a bloke’s arse and covering it with shit?”

Later in an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Latham said, “Sometimes in public life when you throw out insults they come back at you harder and truer…So boo-hoo Alex Greenwich… When he calls someone a disgusting human being for attending a meeting in a church hall, maybe attention will turn to some of his habits… Greenwich goes into schools talking to kids about being gay. I didn’t want to be accused of anything similar, leaving that kind of content on my socials.”

Homophobic Tweets Did Not Damage Greenwich’s Reputation, Claims Latham

Greenwich said the tweets were defamatory and carried the imputation that the out gay MP “engages in disgusting sexual activities” and the comments to the newspaper imputed that the MP was “a disgusting human being who goes to schools to groom children to become homosexual”.

Latham in his defence said that the “demeaning language he used against Greenwich’s “sexuality or assumed sexual conduct or other vulgar abuse”  was “not capable of causing serious harm to Greenwich’s reputation”. 

The One Nation MLC defended his comments saying that he continues to believe that “it was inappropriate for primary and high schools in NSW to have discussions about sexuality with their students and it was One Nation NSW policy to remove gender, sexual and relationship courses from schools”. 

Latham then made the incredulous claim that the episode had not impacted Greewnich’s reputation. “The 15 online newspaper articles… and responses from politicians, media personalities and other members of the public within enhanced the reputation of Greenwich and evidenced that Latham’s publication of the Primary Tweet and DT (Daily Telegraph)  quotes had enhanced not damaged Greenwich’s reputation”.