Homophobic slurs during the federal election campaign – including a flyer labelling homosexuality a “death curse” – demonstrate the perils of a plebiscite on marriage equality, the Labor frontbencher Penny Wong has warned.

Wong rejected the idea opposition to the plebiscite amounted to doubting the “good sense” of Australians in a speech to the Australian Federation of Civil Celebrants’ national conference in Adelaide on Tuesday.

Wong rebutted the claim by the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, that debate around a plebiscite would be respectful with examples from the federal election campaign.

“During that campaign, gay and lesbian Australians were exposed to some of the tactics that those who oppose equality will employ in a plebiscite campaign,” she said.

“A Liberal campaigner in Chisholm has been credited as masterminding an anti-Labor smear campaign focused on the anti-bulling Safe Schools Coalition and marriage equality.”

Guardian Australia has reported messages on Chinese social media site WeChat orchestrated by the Liberal Gladys Liu that included strong opposition of Safe Schools and same-sex marriage.

Liu said many Chinese people didn’t want the next generation “destroyed” by “rubbish” like transgender identity and believe same-sex marriage is “against normal practice”.

Liu denied orchestrating a disinformation campaign, arguing that Labor policies would have been popular on WeChat if they were good but “Chinese [people] don’t like their policies”.

Wong cited a flyer circulated in Sydney’s Eastwood warning voters that homosexuality is a “death curse” to families. It also warned that a Labor victory would see the removal of female and male toilets and give criminals and rapists free access to cubicles, she said.

Another example was a flyer authorised by a past candidate for Liberal preselection and circulated in marginal seats that warned that a vote for Labor was a vote for “radical gay sex education”, Wong said.

“These examples confirm what I know – a plebiscite designed to deny me and many other Australians a marriage certificate will instead license hate speech for those who need little encouragement.”

Wong responded to claims she opposed a plebiscite “because I doubt the good sense of the Australian people”.

“Rather I doubt the integrity of the opposing campaign,” she said. “I doubt the principles of those who have already demonstrated a willingness to stoop to hate speech, misinformation and falsehoods in their desire to avert equality.

“I oppose a plebiscite because I don’t want my relationship, my family, to be the target of discussion, disrespect and derision.”

Australian Christian Lobby election material questioned whether Labor’s policy to increase or remove gender identification options would “make public toilets unsafe for women and girls”.

Wong warned the anti-marriage equality campaign could also “target” other relationships and families, suggesting arguments used to criticise gay families might have negative implications for single parents or childless families.

Wong’s speech comes as Pauline Hanson reportedly called for a referendum to enshrine a definition of marriage in the constitution to prevent extension of marriage rights to polygamy or child marriage.

On ABC’s 7.30 on 24 June, Turnbull responded to Wong and Bill Shorten’s claim that the plebiscite would provide a taxpayer-funded platform for homophobia by remarking “I have more faith in the Australian people’s good sense than Mr Shorten does, I’m afraid”.

The Catholic archbishop of Sydney, Anthony Fisher, has also criticised Wong’s stance on same-sex marriage, accusing her of labelling all opponents as hateful.

In her Lionel Murphy memorial lecture in June, Wong had warned that “some [opponents] ... harbour animosity towards gay and lesbian people”.

On Tuesday Wong described variations changes in the institution of marriage in Australia, including the shift from religious to civil marriage ceremonies. She pointed to increasing rights within marriage and to access marriage by groups including women and Indigenous Australians.

She said same-sex marriage was simply a further evolution of an ever-changing institution blocked by the parliament.

Wong noted the plebiscite was the idea of opponents of same-sex marriage, not its proponents, and called for a parliamentary vote to decide the issue.