An anti same-sex marriage television advertisement has been screened during the telecast of the 37th Sydney Mardi Gras parade on Saturday night, causing outrage amongst marriage equality advocates.

The advert, funded by the Australian Marriage Forum, called for every child to be “given the chance” of both a mother and a father under the premise of “equality” for children.

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The 43-second clip featured Australia Marriage Forum president David van Gend, who said children had an “equal right” to both a mum and a dad “wherever possible”.

Australian Marriage Forum president David van Gend.

“So-called marriage equality forces a child to miss out on a mother or a father. That’s not equality for the kids who miss out. That’s not marriage,” Dr van Gend said.

The advert – which is part of the Forum’s campaign against marriage equality – was pulled from SBS ahead of the Mardi Gras parade, but was still played on both Channel 9 and 7.

One Twitter user called the advertisement “irrational homophobic prejudice”, while another accused the Forum of “bigoted scare mongering”.

Several Twitter users praised SBS for refusing to screen the “hurtful” and “ignorant” advert during the Mardi Gras telecast.

Dr van Gend told Fairfax the advertisement was paid for and said SBS’s decision not to screen the video was a “suppression of free speech”.

“It is outrageous for a taxpayer funded broadcaster like SBS to apply censorship to one side of the debate on same-sex marriage,” he said.

An SBS spokesperson told Fairfax the company had the right to determine what advertisement it broadcast.

Australian Marriage Forum airs out of touch ad, driven by irrational homophobic prejudice. The Ad insults far more than the gay community.

— Scott Norton Taylor (@norton_scott) March 8, 2015

@9NewsSyd Australian Marriage Forum ad shown tonight is bigoted scare mongering rubbish! Very disappointed this trash was aired on nine!

— Melissa Power (@MelissaPower6) March 7, 2015

Dear Australian Marriage Forum. I write, I read, I play, I laugh, I love, I’m gay & I’ll be an awesome dad & husband some day. Deal with it. — Jeremy Lachlan (@jeremylachlan) March 8, 2015

Australian Marriage Forum. At least have the guts 2 say the bigoted things you want to say. Don’t hide behind kids cowards #marriageequality — Anthony Hayes (@theanthonyhayes) March 8, 2015

Australian Marriage Forum showed homophobic revolting add on CH 9. How was this crap allowed to air??? — Mia’kate Russell (@MiakateRussell) March 7, 2015

Thank you Australian Marriage Forum. Your hatred shows Mardi Gras’ message of love and tolerance is a powerful necessity. #MardiGras — Damien Woolnough (@DamienWoolnough) March 8, 2015

Congrats & thanks to @SBS for refusing to play a hurtful/ignorant ad from the Australian Marriage Forum in tonight’s #MardiGras15 telecast — Chris Chamberlin (@popculturechris) March 8, 2015

Well done @SBS for saying #notohomophobia and refusing to screen anti-equality TV adverts. We need to stop this hate https://t.co/KoBEDGKnQe — No to Homophobia (@NoToHomophobia) March 8, 2015