Alex Greenwich details mental health battle after being targeted by Mark Latham
The Sydney MP opened up on his struggles to gay magazine DNA. (Supplied: Christian Scott/ DNA Magazine)
In short:
Independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich has opened up for the first time about his battle with the fallout of a homophobic tweet about him sent by Mark Latham in 2023.
Mr Greenwich says he has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and has been using medicinal cannabis to manage it.
What's next?
Mr Greenwich is suing Mr Latham in the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal for homosexual vilification over the tweet.
Sydney MP Alex Greenwich has opened up for the first time about his mental health struggles since being targeted by former Labor leader and NSW upper house MP, Mark Latham.
Mr Greenwich told ABC Radio Sydney Mornings on Monday he had been dealing with anxiety, sleeplessness and post-traumatic stress disorder, which pushed him to reconsider his political career.
He successfully sued Mr Latham for defamation over a graphic, homophobic tweet in 2023, and was awarded $140,000 in that case.
The member for Sydney in the NSW parliament, who was first elected in 2012, had called Mr Latham a "disgusting human being" after pro-LGBTQI rights protesters were attacked while demonstrating outside an election forum event, which Mr Latham was attending, in Sydney's west.
Mr Latham responded with a tweet targeting Mr Greenwich that graphically described sexual acts.
Focus on wellbeing
Alex Greenwich says cutting out alcohol for 60 days helped his wellbeing. (Supplied: Christian Scott/DNA Magazine)
Mr Greenwich also spoke about his decision to pose for a series of photos that were published on Monday in the magazine DNA — which describes itself as the best-selling print publication for the LGBTQIA+ community in Australia.
"For the past two years, I have felt people have seen me in the prism of that Latham tweet and the hate that was directed at me," Mr Greenwich said.
"For me personally, and also for my community, I really wanted to challenge that by putting an alternate image out there, but also share my mental health journey and the impacts of it and what I have done to help myself."
He said he had been ramping up exercise, focusing on his wellbeing and drinking less.
"I had about 60 days of no booze, and that really was, I think, the real thing that helped my health and wellbeing more than anything," Mr Greenwich said.
Hateful messages
Mr Greenwich said he remembered binders full of emails and handwritten letters containing hateful messages on his lawyer's desk.
"It wasn't just one tweet," Mr Greenwich told ABC Radio Sydney.
"Mr Latham really provided the green light for people to attack me in the most aggressively, sexualised way.
"I have lost count the amount of AVOs [Apprehended Violence Orders] the police have had to take out on my behalf."
Mr Greenwich told presenter Hamish Macdonald the abuse was unfortunately ongoing.
His legal battles with Mr Latham have also continued.
Mr Latham has appealed the Federal Court's defamation decision over the 2023 tweet, seeking to toss the award of $140,000 in damages and findings that the tweet was defamatory.
Mr Greenwich is also suing Mr Latham in the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal for vilification and sexual harassment, alleging four public statements made by Mr Latham breached the state's Anti-Discrimination Act.
Mr Latham is defending his conduct as part of the tribunal proceedings. He told the tribunal in August that members of parliament "have disagreements all the time".
Mr Greenwich says abuse has continued. (ABC News: Patrick Thomas)
Recovery through exercise and medicinal cannabis
The Sydney MP also talked about his post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis and how he managed it through exercise and using medicinal cannabis.
Mr Greenwich recently disclosed he had been prescribed medical cannabis and has called for fairer NSW driving laws to recognise its medical use.
"As our drug laws have caught up to allow people to use medicinal cannabis, our driving laws haven't," Mr Greenwich said.
"Drivers are still unfairly impacted by having any THC in their system."
Mr Greenwich said he had not yet decided whether he would stand at the next state election in 2027.
"If you had asked me at the beginning of this year, I would have said I am out. I had had enough," he said.
"But going through some really good therapy, focusing on exercise and my wellbeing, reaching out to friends and family members for help and support has helped me to get excited about my job again.
"I think I am 95 per cent there that I will run again.
"If you had asked me at the beginning of this year, I would have said 5 per cent."