Connecting with someone who gets what it’s like

“When I was bereaved by suicide, I was not just grieving the loss of a friend but grieving for all LGBTQIA+ people who face a transphobic and homophobic world each day,” says Immy Money, Project Officer at our new Support After Suicide Hub (SASH). “I was realising just how many in our community are suicide bereaved.”

Four years ago, Support After Suicide’s General Manager, Louise Flynn, and Switchboard Victoria’s CEO, Joe Ball, came together for the first time as part of broadcaster Joy FM’s “Let’s Talk About Suicide” podcast. This has become a strong partnership between the two organisations supporting LGBTQIA+ people bereaved by suicide.

SASH will be a place for LGBTQIA+ people who have lost a loved one to suicide to find support and connection. SASH will have information, resources, and an online community forum for members to connect with each other. It will be available nationally.

For the success of the SASH project, it was critical to establish a Lived Experience Advisory Group (LEAG). “SASH was made by and for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) people who live with loss by suicide,” explains Immy.

“Through the LEAG’s guidance, I hope that the Hub can help people feel connected, heard and seen. I hope that this space will feel like it belongs to those who engage with it.”

“It sets a good example for what a peer support forum can do. It’s an honour to work with the LGBTQIA+ community. I’m always in awe of our collective resilience and the way we show up for each other.”

SASH was launched on the 5th of December 2023. Find out more at www.sash.org.au