Our Stories
Our Stories is a collection of personal accounts from Switchboard’s network, on the intersection of LGBTIQA+ identities and suicide.
Centred on lived and living experience, these stories touch upon living with and supporting loved ones through suicidality, dealing with suicide bereavement and the diverse paths towards seeking support. Our storytellers use prose, poetry and other forms of expression to explore this topic, and their stories are shared here uncensored and unedited, honouring the raw and real emotions that come with this experience.
Our Stories is regularly updated, so make sure to sign up to our newsletter here to get notified of a new one being uploaded. If you’d like to contribute your story, please get in touch at suicide.prevention@switchboard.org.au.
Charlie’s Poem
And yet, I see your face and form
Hear your laughter and witness your heart.
In the micro-moments with strangers and friends
Even though I know we’re apart.
Heathclyff’s Story
After losing my partner, I felt very isolated and so I had to allow myself to connect to things that would just find their own connection to me. As I did so, I found them healing in terms of an inner journey as opposed to a prescription handed out to me by others.
Leone’s Story
Suicide has touched my life in many ways over the years and will I imagine continue to.
I have experienced the loss of friends and family. I have had thoughts of suicide, have made plans and have been rescued. I have lived carelessly, self-harmed and taken risks. I have had contributing factors such as an eating disorder.
T’s Story
It’s a common story that I share with many amazing peers: we were made to survive not just our own suicidality or attempt, and not just our own personal hells, but also the incapacity and lack of care shown too often by caring professionals. It’s a story where continuing our existence requires our activism, and our activism deteriorates our mental health.
Anonymous Story
I feel like I have some kind of trifecta of suicide experience, my own, caring for another and the loss of many dear queer friends to suicide as well as others from outside the community and people in my biofamily.
Ruah’s Poem
& you closed your eyes & i knew you had truly gone
& i am not quite sure of
what elements in our
equation blinded me to
the deep of you
Kristin’s Poem
And since matter's not created or destroyed
but can be rearranged You may
have become those branches reaching out to me.
Why not? You changed hourly in this world.
Raie’s story
My experience of growing up bisexual in a small town was challenging, I felt like I was always the other - Different. Difficult. Outspoken. Odd.
Heather’s Poem
With a shattered heart I mourn your passing
Not knowing my long windy road will lead
Your earthly existence no more