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3mo ago

Celebrities and Lawmakers Unite to Save LGBTQ+ Youth Suicide Lifeline Funding

Backers warn October’s congressional decision will determine whether specialized 988 services that have aided nearly 1.3 million queer youth remain funded.

Guitarist Nik Johnson of the Bay Area based punk band Hunx and His Punx performs during the Mosswood Meltdown in Oakland on July 6, 2024. The East Bay garage rock band has signed an open letter alongside Ariana Grande, Pedro Pascal, and over 100 public figures, calling on federal leaders to preserve funding for LGBTQ+ youth suicide prevention services.
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Shannon & the Clams performs at the BottleRock Festival in Napa Valley on May 25, 2019. The East Bay garage rock band has signed an open letter alongside Ariana Grande, Pedro Pascal, and over 100 public figures, calling on federal leaders to preserve funding for LGBTQ+ youth suicide prevention services.
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Overview

  • The HHS’s leaked budget draft proposes eliminating the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s $50 million LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services effective October 1, 2025.
  • Since its 2022 launch under the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act, the 988 program has handled nearly 1.3 million crisis contacts from LGBTQ+ youth seeking affirming care.
  • Over 100 entertainment figures, including Ariana Grande, Pedro Pascal and Daniel Radcliffe, signed an open letter urging Congress to restore and protect the funding in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget.
  • More than 100 House Democrats and two Republicans have written to the administration warning that defunding specialized 988 services would have life-threatening consequences for vulnerable queer youth.
  • The Trevor Project could lose an estimated $25 million in federal support even as LGBTQ+ young people remain over four times more likely to attempt suicide and 1.8 million consider it each year.