Independent MP Alex Greenwich is taking defamation action against Mark Latham after the One Nation leader failed to apologise for a homophobic tweet. 

On May 1, Mr Greenwich gave Mr Latham a deadline to withdraw his remarks and say sorry, but that deadline passed at midnight on Wednesday. 

Mr Greenwich received a letter from Mr Latham's lawyers late last night saying they would not accept his offer to settle the matter outside court.

The MP said he was not taking the legal proceedings 'lightly'. 

'Mr Latham's homophobic, sexualised attack has exposed me to contempt, ridicule and extreme abuse, based on my sexuality, and demands actions,' he said.

Independent NSW MP Alex Greenwich is taking legal proceedings against Mark Latham (pictured front) after the One Nation leader failed to apologise for a homophobic tweet

'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.' 

He has also filed complaints with the NSW Police and Anti-Discrimination NSW on the grounds of vilification.

The high stakes stoush started when Mr Greenwich called Mr Latham 'a disgusting human being' after LGBT+ protesters were assaulted outside a church where Mr Latham was addressing a forum during the NSW election campaign in March.

Mr Latham responded with an inflammatory tweet. 

'Disgusting?

How does that compare with sticking your d*** up a bloke's a*** and videopornobandante.com covering it with s***?' he wrote.

The One Nation MP was widely condemned for his comments, including by his own party leader, Pauline Hanson, who said they were 'disgusting'.

Though he took the tweet down shortly after, he followed up with another one.

'Never apologise, never explain,' he wrote.

Mr Latham subsequently accused Mr Greenwich of 'starting' the feud by insulting him first, but admitted his words were 'too crude to stay up there'.

'If Alex Greenwich wants to say that the NSW Police have to go police words like this (his homophobic tweet) on Twitter, the police can start with his own words,' Mr Latham told radio station 2HD on May 3.

'If you want to talk about words that are offensive, calling someone "a disgusting human being" for going to a meeting in a church hall with the parish priest sitting on the stage, you can take offence at that and the police can investigate him.'

He accused Mr Greenwich of causing the costly legal battle, saying 'Don't start things that you can't finish'.

On May 1, Mr Greenwich gave Mr Latham a deadline to withdraw his remarks and say sorry, but that deadline passed at midnight last night

'This guy who started this dispute doesn't like the way I responded.

I'll tell you what, he's got a glass jaw,' he said.

'I don't regret saying that as a straight man, the thought of someone holding a gun to my head saying that I've got to have anal sex with another man, I do find that disgusting. 

'That's what makes me straight.'

He said he doesn't think his comments were 'an unfair thing to say given the nature of his attack on me. 

'It was crudely expressed and the words had to come down and they did,' he said. 

'He provoked this, he started this.

Where's the apology for describing me as "a disgusting human being"?' Mr Latham said. 

He added that if Mr Greenwich 'persists' in suing him 'I'll have a counterclaim. If he wants to talk slander, (what he said it) completely slanderous.'

Mr Greenwich's problems with the One Nation MP also include their opposing views on transgender issues with Mr Latham taking a more conservative stance.

The One Nation leader said he didn't think his views were controversial. 

'What have I said about transgender?

I've consistently said if you're an adult over the age of 18 and you want to change your gender every other day, well, that's your business,' he said.

'It's not a concern of government or anyone else. You're an adult, you can make these decisions. 

'You want to be a male one day, female the next, back to being a male.

If you're an adult, you do whatever you think is in your interest, but leave the kids alone.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson (pictured) called Mark Latham's homophobic tweet 'disgusting'

'That's all I've ever said.

Leave the kids alone.'

Mr Latham is vehemently opposed to primary school children being taught anything about transgender issues. 

'It's not hateful to say that schools have got bigger priorities in the basics of education than running classes on gender conversion,' he said. 

'You pay your taxes and you send your kids to a government school so they can learn to read, write, do numbers, get good qualifications and get a job.