CHARLEE is now live for you to access, with a dedication to all LGBTQIA+ people - those who struggle, those who have survived, those who are carers, and those who have passed. The website is here: charlee.org.au/

The news has been heavy for the community over the past few days. Thinking of victim-survivors, and those we have lost. If you, or anyone you know, is struggling, please reach out and have a look at charlee.org.au for resources and helplines. We are here for you.

We are urging Health Minister @Mark_Butler_MP to extend the 20 sessions p/ year access to Medicare funded mental health sessions, and include @LGBTIQHealthAu in their consultations. See media release here:

Today we wrapped up our AGM, looking back fondly at 30 years of serving the community! We have new board members, and we're keeping some old ones, and together, we are so excited to build our programs and keeping looking after our communities in the coming year.

James Seow, our Board Member, and an active part of our National Lived Experience Network, thanks all people with lived experiences of suicide who contributed to designed this website, and our communities for showing up today.

Our panelists are getting emotional while talking about the big plans for CHARLEE - meant to be a dynamic, developing resource for LGBTQIA+ people bereaved by suicide. Every person lost was someone we held hands with, went to a rally with, a friend, family. We honour them.

On tomorrow's release of the coroner's report on LGBTQIA+ suicide, @Joe_c_Ball says - "Nothing in the report surprises us, it affirms what we anecdotally know, as people who live in the community, as well as service providers running national helplines."

Our panel is now discussing that while LGBTQIA+ people have many experiences about suicide - whether through themselves, or through loved ones, and CHARLEE is a way to put all of these resources down in a website for people to access in times of need.

@VicLGBTIQ - For the Victorian Government, it has been so important to fund this and support Switchboard in developing this resource and reaching out to people in meaningful ways, because this is such a personal issue for many people in our community.

It's called CHARLEE, because it stands for - 'Community, Hope, Action, Resources and Lived Experience Education.' It's a person's name, like so many people in our community have picked our own names, and we hope you see it as a friend!

We are now in a panel discussion, with Switchboard Suicide Prevention Manager Anna Bernasochi and @VicLGBTIQ Todd Fernando, talking about CHARLEE, and tomorrow's upcoming release of the coroner's report on LGBTQIA+ Suicide.

Ash Watson, Lived Experience Coordinator at Switchboard, about people who have experiences of suicide - "We are luminous, strong people. We have lived through things that are powerful, intense, and sometimes terrifying. I think we are absolutely incredible."

@Joe_c_Ball discusses Switchboard's inception during the AIDS pandemic, where activists rallied under the slogan - "Silence is death". This is the same for suicide in our community, and we need to talk about this, and do it safely.

CHARLEE is launching - @Joe_c_Ball has just done an Acknowledgment of Country, encouraging us to actively think of decolonisation when talking about the challenges of suicide in the LGBTQIA+ community.

At 12pm today, we are launching CHARLEE - a LGBTIQA+ suicide prevention hub bringing together Community, Hope, Action, Resources and Lived Experience Education, with @Joe_c_Ball and @VicLGBTIQ ! Join us here: tinyurl.com/2p8zn24b Stay tuned for a live tweet thread!