Nearly 200 doctors and health workers caring for Australians of diverse sexuality and gender identity have joined calls for the Turnbull government to ditch its planned plebiscite on same-sex marriage.
In less than a week, Melbourne general practitioner Vincent Cornelisse helped co-ordinate the collection of 196 signatures from healthcare professionals in every state and territory, warning Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull that a public campaign could be damaging for vulnerable people in the community.
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Treasurer Scott Morrison has accused Bill Shorten of engaging in daily scare campaigns rather than coming to the table with a plebiscite compromise.
The letter comes as a new poll shows public support for the national vote has collapsed, with more respondents favouring a vote in Parliament.
Support for the plebiscite has fallen from 70 per cent in July to 39 per cent in Wednesday's Newspoll, with 48 per cent of respondents saying they favour a vote by members of Parliament to resolve the issue.
On the question of same-sex marriage, 62 per cent said they would vote yes while 32 per cent said they would vote no, with 6 per cent undecided.
The letter warns individuals and groups who are opposed to same-sex marriage on ideological grounds could attempt to stigmatise Australians with diverse sexuality and gender identity during a publicly funded plebiscite campaign, including misrepresentation of the positive health and happiness outcomes of children of same-sex couples.
"You, Prime Minister, have previously expressed the hope that a debate on marriage equality would be conducted in a respectful manner," the letter states.
"We are not convinced that in our society, where harassment and abuse based on gender identity or sexuality is commonplace, that a public debate on marriage equality will be one that is 'respectful'."
Research by Melbourne's La Trobe University found 69 per cent of young people with diverse sexuality and gender identity had been subjected to harassment or abuse, with the group recording higher rates of self-harm and attempted suicide.
The group said the vast majority of Australians won't be directly affected by the outcome of a plebiscite on marriage equality.
"Many [diverse sex and gender] people object to the idea that the unaffected majority should have the right to vote on a matter that only affects an already stigmatised minority," the letter says.
"It sends a signal to DSG people that those people who have bullied and harassed them will now also have the right to decide how they can live their lives."
Treasurer Scott Morrison and Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg were among senior Coalition figures playing down the result of the latest poll, arguing the plebiscite had been supported by voters at the July 2 election.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Mr Turnbull was losing ground on the plebiscite plan.
Enabling legislation will only make it through the Senate with support from Labor, after the Greens and crossbenchers said they would seek to block the vote.
"Wake up, Malcolm Turnbull," he said.
"Listen to the Australian people, stop listening to the far right of your party, do not waste $200 million on a marriage equality opinion poll, which you can't even make your backbenchers agree to vote for once people have to vote in the plebiscite."