Help to prevent LGBT suicide

This week DP Building Systems launched a new 5-1 rainbow charging cable in order to raise money for LGBT Foundation to continue its work in supporting LGBT people and helping to end LGBT suicide.

The inventor of the product Adam* tragically lost his friend Jake* to suicide after he struggled for years with issues related to his sexual orientation and his fears that he will be “bring shame” and be rejected by his family. (**Names have been changed to protect the anonymity of those involved.)

Adam* said:

“I went to school with Jake* in the late 1980’s. We were in boarding school together and to be honest life in and out of school was very good. After school, as many people do, we went our separate ways in life. A few years later, we reconnected again on Facebook. We met up and remembered the old times and was great to look back and catch up".

He went on to say;

It was at this point that Jake* finally came out to me and told me that he was gay. I asked why he had never told me before. He said it was a time in his life were he didn’t know what/where/when to tell me. Boarding school can be an extremely difficult place, but I had no idea that he was struggling.

We continued to meet up in the future years, and in 2008/9 I was informed that Jake* had taken his own life. He had left me a letter which was sent to me. In the letter he explained how he had felt over the years, how he felt now. He was in a dark place as he hadn’t told his family and to use his own words, “I am fed up of going to weddings and then being quizzed after by the family when will I be getting married”.

He explained that he still hadn’t told his parents or sister and they have no idea. He said he didn’t want to shame his family. Which is crazy. He didn’t even tell me which is the heart breaking for myself.

He is a great guy, and very much missed. I just wish he had the support of an organisation like LGBT Foundation. No one should feel that their own option is suicide.”

Published: 17-Jan-2020: (5711)