Oogachaga, one of Singapore’s most established non-government organisations (NGO) dedicated to serving the needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, is set to launch a series of comics on suicide prevention and mental health issues faced by individuals within the community.
The comic series, a product of the NGO’s collaboration with artists from Singapore and Malaysia, will be released this month and next month to commemorate World Suicide Prevention Day on 10 September and World Mental Health Day on 10 October.
“With the current COVID-19 pandemic and the looming economic recession, suicide and mental health have become key concerns for communities worldwide. International research has repeatedly shown that the LGBTQ+ community is disproportionately impacted by these issues, for a variety of reasons,” said Oogachaga in a statement.
Executive director Leow Yangfa said that the comics “aim to destigmatize these issues and make it accessible for everyone in the LGBTQ+ community to talk about them, with the hope of seeking help and offering empathy and support for those around us”.
The artists involved in the project are Andre D’Rozario, Ann Li Khaw, Farid Nad, Nicolette Lee and Shika Corona.
Their comic strips will be released gradually throughout this month and the next through Oogachaga’s social media pages on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The full set of images will eventually be available on its website.
Oogachaga will also be conducting free community webinars on LGBT suicide prevention and mental health on 10 September and 10 October respectively. For more information, click here.