A newspaper and television advertising campaign calling for same-sex marriage commences this Saturday.

The campaign is designed to reach out to mainstream Australia with a message from the families of gay and lesbian Australians highlighting the unfairness of legal inequality.

	Shelley Argent as she appears in the advertisement.

The campaign will feature the national spokesperson for Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), Mrs Shelley Argent, challenging Kevin Rudd with the statement "my son is not a second rate citizen" and contrasting the fact her gay son can't marry with the fact her straight son can.

Mrs Argent said "I'm a proud mum of two sons, and I just can't see why only one of them should be able to marry".

"As a parent I want the best for both my sons, including the same happiness I've had in my thirty five year marriage."

"As an Australian I want everyone's children to have the same legal rights and the same opportunities in life, whether they're gay or straight."

The campaign will commence with a full-colour newspaper advertisement in tomorrow's edition of The Australian, and continue from next Friday with TV ads broadcast for five weeks on commercial television across the nation.

The ads build on the success of a PFLAG-sponsored advertising campaign in the online edition of The Melbourne Age which called on Age readers to send their views to the current Senate inquiry into marriage equality.

It is understood the Senate received well over 10,000 submissions in favour of same-sex marriage.

Australian Marriage Equality National Convenor, Peter Furness, warmly welcomed the campaign and praised Mrs Argent for her dedication to equality and to her family.

"Marriage equality can only be achieved if the families and friends of gay and lesbian Australians follow Shelley's example and stand up for full equality for all."