‘With all due respect, you never knew him.’ The family of Wilson Gavin have released a statement.

This post discusses suicide, and may be triggering for some readers.

The family of Wilson Gavin, the head of the University of Queensland’s Liberal National Club, have released a statement following his death.

Gavin, who was at the centre of a protest at a Drag Queen Storytime event in Brisbane over the weekend, passed away on Monday.

You can read the official statement from the family of Wilson Gavin below:

To everyone who knew our son and brother and shared their stories of who Wilson Gavin really was – we thank you.

To those who have described Wilson as “a deeply troubled young man”, including so-called family members – with all due respect – you never knew him.

To anyone who is or was angry with Wilson – we know he regularly got the “how” wrong and occasionally got the “what” wrong. This made us angry with him too.

To the LGBTIQA+ communities and Rainbow Families Queensland – we love and support you.

To young, politically motivated people of all persuasions – we implore you to seek kind and wise mentors who will guide you, and not use you or wash their hands of you when you no longer serve their purposes.

To those who are now regretting words said or typed in anger that may have contributed to another person’s suffering – we know and share your pain all too well.

To the police and emergency services personnel who have treated us with such dignity and compassion, and work with this type of trauma far too often – you have our deepest respect and gratitude.

We loved Wil for his compassion and sense of justice – just some of the many things he got right.

We respected the unwavering strength of his convictions and desire to make the world better.

And we admired Wil’s drive to contribute, so often in ways not many knew about – like serving at a soup kitchen every Saturday or the year he spent teaching kids in Mongolia. He would regularly give the last note in his wallet to a homeless person on the street.

Wil worked tirelessly for causes without personal gain, gratitude, or in some cases, loyalty.

We remember him as a devoted and loving son and brother. We will love him, always and will be forever grateful he was part of our family.

Over the weekend, footage of the UQ Liberal National Club storming a drag queen storytelling event at Brisbane Square Library was shared widely online.

In the video, roughly 15 to 20 protesters, including 21-year-old Gavin, were seen chanting "drag queens are not for kids" as they ignored requests from security to exit the library.

After the incident occurred, footage from the storytelling event became the top trending topic of Twitter.

As the incident went viral, the backlash was fierce.

On social media, Gavin and other members of the group were labelled “ugly” and “twisted” as they were likened to Nazis.

A public tribute to UQ LNP protester Wilson Gavin from one of his friends.

He was one of us, and I wish he was still here to find happiness. Hurt people hurt people. pic.twitter.com/CpCi8FhHwZ

— Sally Rugg (@sallyrugg) January 13, 2020

Following Gavin's death, Rainbow Families Queensland, who organised the storytelling event, released a statement on the news.

"Rainbow Families Queensland were informed earlier today that the leader of yesterday’s drag story time protest [died by suicide] this morning," the statement said.

"We are deeply saddened by this news and extend our sympathies to his family."

If you, or a young person you know, is struggling with symptoms of mental illness please contact your local headspace centre here or chat to them online, here. If you are over the age of 25 and suffering from symptoms of mental illness please contact your local GP for a Mental Health Assessment Plan or call Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14.

Kid’s Helpline is also available on 1800 551 800.