Dianne Colbert is a mental health counsellor in Victoria and was accredited as a ‘Master Mental Health First Aid instructor’. Mental Health First Aid stripped Dianne of her accreditation after receiving a complaint from two political activists targeting her for participating in the ‘No’ campaign during the same-sex marriage plebiscite. Dianne had never received a complaint from an LGBTQ+ trainee or colleague in the 11 years that she taught her courses.
Mental Health First Aid suspended Dianne’s accreditation after receiving a complaint from the activists about Dianne’s teaching videos on science and LGBTQ+ ideology given at Christian conferences.
Mental Health First Aid told Dianne that she had to agree to newly established LGBTQ+ guidelines which included controversial gender fluidity ideology, even though this topic had never come up in Dianne’s courses. Dianne could not agree to teach gender fluidity, so Mental Health First Aid cancelled her accreditation.
Dianne decided not to take legal action and has taken up a different career.
