A Sydney doctor who became the subject of a petition to be deregistered after appearing in a same-sex marriage No Campaign advertisement says she has been physically threatened since the ad aired.

Dr Pansy Lai has told the ABC she and some staff at the medical clinic where she works had been threatened since she appeared in a Coalition for Marriage advertisement calling for a No vote in the upcoming same-sex marriage survey.

"There was one comment that says they were going to turn up at my practice and that I had better bring security," Dr Lai said.

She said receptionists at her clinic "had to cop some really terrible phone calls; people have been swearing at them and threatening physical harm".

As the founder of a group called Australian Chinese for Families, Dr Lai said others advocating for the existing definition of marriage were also worried.

"Chinese parents are telling me that they are fearful for what it means," she said.

"If the law changes, will parents still have the right to voice their concerns about the Safe Schools program? Would the same happen to them? Are they going to be laid off their government jobs or have their job registrations reviewed for voicing out their views on traditional marriage?"

'Anarcho-socialist' defends posting petition

Lev Lafayette calls himself an anarcho-socialist. ( Twitter: @lev_lafayette )

A petition, published on site CommunityRun, called for a review of Dr Lai's medical registration for appearing in the No promotional video and content on the Australian Chinese for Families site.

Lev Lafayette, a programming trainer at the University of Melbourne who describes himself on Twitter as an Anarcho-socialist, is the man behind the now-cancelled petition.

He defended the petition and the people signing it.

"As citizens, the people who have signed that petition are saying, 'hey, we have got a concern here that a medical professional … has breached their own code of practice," Mr Lafayette said.

"We're just putting it forward. It's not up to us, it's up to them."

GetUp's website has removed petition

GetUp, who created the community petition platform, said the petition was removed after receiving dozens of complaints.

"Following the review, the petition was found to breach CommunityRun's terms and conditions and was taken down on Monday morning," a GetUp spokesman said.

Petitions listed on CommunityRun can be uploaded by anyone and are not run or endorsed by GetUp.

A GetUp spokesman said while the organisation was opposed to a same-sex marriage survey, it condemned personal attacks against individuals on either side of the campaign.

"GetUp does not support a petition targeting Dr Pansy Lai, which was uploaded over the weekend, nor did GetUp endorse or organise it," he said.

Sorry, this video has expired A No television advert ahead of the same-sex marriage survey

AMA slams 'inappropriate' petition

The petition was addressed to the Australian Medical Association, which has criticised it as being inappropriate and concerning.

"Individuals should be able to express an opinion on a political matter, without being shouted down," AMA president Dr Michael Gannon said.

"Everyone's entitled to an opinion and to call for someone to have their livelihood taken away, which is effectively what medical deregistration would mean to a doctor, is utterly inappropriate."

Mr Gannon said the Medical Board of Australia, which is the registrational authority for doctors, would dismiss this complaint very quickly.

"Doctors, like other members of the community, are entitled to an opinion and that should be heard," Dr Gannon said.

A Coalition for Marriage spokeswoman condemned the now-removed petition.

"In seeking to ruin the career of a doctor who dares disagree with its agenda, the same-sex marriage lobby has shown, yet again, that it has no interest in freedom of speech," she said.

"The petition against Dr Lai is a threat not only to her, but to any others who might try to voice their opinion. The message is loud and clear: agree on same-sex marriage or else."