Australia's depression charity restricted access to a key report into gay and lesbian mental health because staff were concerned about the views of the organisation's chairman Jeff Kennett, former employees - and the report's author - claim.

Former staff members at beyondblue have told The Saturday Age the report, Feeling Queer and Blue, was put ''completely to the background'' because ''we knew that Jeff [Kennett] didn't want it in the foreground whatsoever''.

The depression initiative went into 'damage control' following Jeff Kennett's comments about the bisexual football trainer. Credit:Angela Wylie

Mr Kennett drew controversy in July 2008 for comments likening a bisexual football trainer to a paedophile working as a masseur for young boys. Last month, he said happy heterosexual marriages were the best environment for the mental health of children.

The La Trobe University report into depression among the gay, lesbian and bisexual community was withheld by beyondblue for six months after it was finished in December 2008. Unlike many other beyondblue research reports, it was not spruiked with a media campaign. There is no evidence this was because of a direction from Mr Kennett.