The Coalition for Marriage was an Australian lobby group that advocated the definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman, as found in the now superseded Marriage Amendment Act 2004.[1]
The first Coalition for Marriage advertisement on TV featured three women and focused on the Safe Schools education program.[5] In the ad, the women – Heidi McIvor,[6] Cella White,[7] and Pansy Lai[8] – ask about potential gender confusion issues for children. The ad was supported by Conservative senator Cory Bernardi[9] and by social commentator Andrew Bolt.[10] The ad was criticised as being inaccurate and for linking the survey (and same-sex marriage in general) to Safe Schools,[11] and by Opposition Leader, Bill Shorten who said, "Malcolm Turnbull ... gave the green light to this rubbish".[12][13] Mothers of transgender children criticised the ad for bringing their children into the same-sex marriage debate.[14] The three women and supporters of the yes position have all commented on the responses to the ad.[15]Minister for Environment and EnergyJosh Frydenberg expressed that he "did not have a problem" with the advertisement, stating that he has "great confidence in the public's ability to make their own decisions as to whether they'll be voting yes or no".[16]
One of the women in the ad (Dr Lai) was threatened that she would be shot “this week”[17][18][19] and a campaign was initiated (subsequently pulled) to revoke her medical registration.[20][21]