988 Suicide Lifeline To End LGBTQ+ Youth Support Amid Budget Cuts, Sparking Backlash

In a move that has triggered widespread concern among LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline will end its specialized support services for LGBTQ+ youth and young adults on July 17. The decision was confirmed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in a statement published Tuesday.

The LGBTQ+ dedicated services launched in September 2022 were accessible via the “Press 3” option on the 988 phone line or by texting “PRIDE.” Since its inception, the subprogram has supported nearly 1.3 million callers, making it a critical mental health resource for a high-risk group of young people across the United States.

The announcement comes ahead of former President Donald Trump’s 2026 budget proposal, which seeks to cut the entire $33 million allocated for 988’s LGBTQ+ services while maintaining the lifeline’s total funding at $520 million. The funding cut, though not yet enacted, has drawn criticism from mental health professionals and LGBTQ+ rights organizations who fear the move will endanger lives.

SAMHSA’s official statement claims the decision to eliminate the “Press 3” function is part of an effort to “no longer silo” support services and instead “focus on serving all help seekers,” including LGBTQ+ individuals, through the general hotline. However, critics argue that dismantling the tailored service removes a safe, familiar access point for young LGBTQ+ callers who often face higher levels of mental distress.

The change comes at a critical moment: just one day before the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors, further exacerbating fears about the erosion of LGBTQ+ rights and healthcare access nationwide.

The Trevor Project, a key nonprofit mental health provider for LGBTQ+ youth and one of seven centers contracted to offer 988 support, was officially notified of the service termination on Tuesday. According to the organization, it handles nearly half of all LGBTQ+ contacts made to the 988 lifeline.

“Suicide prevention is about people, not politics,” said Trevor Project CEO Jaymes Black in a statement issued Wednesday. “The administration’s decision to remove a bipartisan, evidence-based service that has effectively supported a high-risk group of young people through their darkest moments is incomprehensible.”

The Trevor Project expressed particular concern over SAMHSA’s reference to the service as one for “LGB+ youth,” notably omitting the “T” for transgender individuals. “Transgender people can never, and will never, be erased,” Black stated, calling the omission “callous” and a disturbing signal of exclusion during a time of heightened vulnerability for trans youth.

Despite the cut, The Trevor Project confirmed it will continue to operate its 24/7 mental health support services for LGBTQ+ individuals. SAMHSA also emphasized that the broader 988 lifeline remains available to anyone in crisis, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.

However, mental health experts and activists worry that without a distinct point of entry, LGBTQ youth will be reluctant to call because they will fear being discriminated against or misunderstood by universal crisis counselors.

Federal statistics indicate a drastic increase in suicides nationwide. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) counted 49,300 suicides in 2023, one of the highest recorded numbers in U.S. history. Again and again, study after study has revealed that LGBTQ+ youth and particularly transgender youth are disproportionately at risk.

A CDC study conducted in 2024 discovered that 26% of gender-questioning and transgender students had attempted suicide in the previous year and 5% of cisgender men and 11% of cisgender women had attempted suicide.

Experts attribute this disparity to instances of bullying, limited access to affirming care, rejection by their families, and constant political assaults on LGBTQ+ rights. These factors tend to drive vulnerable youth towards mental health emergencies, thereby making easy access to inclusive support lines more necessary than ever before.

Following Trump’s re-election and re-election in 2020, transgender youth flooded crisis hotlines with anxiety regarding the roll-back of civil rights protections and access to gender-affirming care a subject of top priority in Trump’s campaign rhetoric.

Ironically, Trump himself signed the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020, which created the 988 lifeline infrastructure. That act was initially praised by bipartisan lawmakers as a crucial tool for preventing suicide.

Now, the Trump administration’s 2026 budget proposal would eliminate LGBTQ+ youth-specific services entirely. The $33 million spent on the subprogram in fiscal year 2024 has now become a target of fiscal restructuring, despite ongoing evidence of its impact and reach.

Meanwhile, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is proposing a broader structural change, seeking to merge SAMHSA with other federal agencies under a newly envisioned Administration for a Healthy America. The plan would place mental health services, chemical exposure, and work-related injury oversight under one umbrella a shift that critics say may further dilute specialized care.

For now, the countdown to July 17 has begun. What happens next may significantly impact access to life-saving mental health care for thousands of LGBTQ+ youth across the nation.

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