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Over 100 Celebrities Demand Restoration of LGBTQ+ Youth Suicide Hotline Funding

The open letter warns that cutting its $50 million budget would strip a service that has connected nearly 1.3 million LGBTQ+ youth to crisis care since 2022.

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

  • A leaked Health and Human Services budget draft proposes eliminating the 988 Lifeline’s $50 million allocation for LGBTQ+ youth specialized services in FY2026.
  • The Trevor Project organized an open letter signed by more than 100 entertainers to oppose the cut and highlight the program’s impact.
  • Since its 2022 launch, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline has facilitated nearly 1.3 million crisis contacts with LGBTQ+ young people.
  • LGBTQ+ youth face more than four times the suicide attempt rate of their peers, with 1.8 million seriously considering suicide every year.
  • Signatories call on the White House and Congress to restore and secure funding in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget to prevent life-threatening service gaps.