Overview

• The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline discontinued its LGBTQ+-specific routing on July 18 after Congress’s $33 million pilot fund ran out and the administration chose not to renew it.
• SAMHSA affirmed that all callers will still reach skilled, culturally competent crisis counselors despite the removal of the dedicated press 3 option.
• Since its 2022 launch, over 1.5 million LGBTQ+ contacts used the specialized service and a 2024 Trevor Project survey found 39 percent of LGBTQ+ youth seriously considered suicide and half were unable to access mental health care.
• California’s partnership between the Health and Human Services Agency and The Trevor Project will train counselors statewide and operate a dedicated LGBTQ+ crisis line to maintain tailored support.
• Public figures and lawmakers blasted the decision as politically motivated and dangerous, with Jim Parsons calling it “quite literally criminal” and Senator Tammy Baldwin labeling it “absolutely cruel.”