Opponents of the Scottish Government’s plans to redefine marriage are stepping up pressure as a Bill is expected in Holyrood before July.
Scotland for Marriage, which has almost 50,000 supporters, has vowed to intensify its campaign in the coming months.
The group, which wants to keep marriage as it is, said: “People who think the same-sex marriage debate is over are misguided.
Taxpayers
“The politicians of Holyrood are a million miles away from public opinion on this issue and are wasting huge amounts of taxpayers’ money pursuing matters like same-sex marriage when the country’s economic and employment problems should be the focal point to the exclusion of almost everything else.”
On Tuesday the SNP Government minister responsible for the issue said he hoped the legislation would be passed “sooner rather than later”.
In July 2012 the SNP Government ignored a consultation on the issue and pushed ahead with its plans.
Opposed
In its consultation, two thirds of the 80,000 responses were opposed to the move.
Earlier this year it emerged that a police chaplain in Scotland who voiced support for traditional marriage on his personal blog had been removed from his post.
Strathclyde Police said Revd Brian Ross was able to hold his beliefs in private, but that to publicly express them was a breach of their equality and diversity policy.
Pressure
It was also revealed in March this year that a secondary school teacher from Scotland said he was pressurised to promote gay marriage against his will and it contributed to a nervous breakdown.
The teacher, referred to as “Mr X”, was prepared to teach about marriage and sexuality in a balanced and objective way, but could not in all conscience say gay marriage was the same as traditional marriage.