Particle.news
Download on the App Store
29 ARTICLES
·
4w ago

Trump Administration to End LGBTQ+ Youth Suicide Hotline on July 17

Advocacy groups warn that folding the specialized 'Press 3' option into the general 988 Lifeline could leave LGBTQ+ youth without tailored crisis counseling.

FILE - A man uses a cell phone in New Orleans, Aug. 11, 2019. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)
Sign for the 988 Lifeline mental health emergency hotline in Walnut Creek, California, December 20, 2024.
Image
Image

Overview

  • The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline will discontinue its LGBTQ+ youth services on July 17, removing the 'Press 3' option launched in 2022.
  • The specialized service has received nearly 1.3 million calls, texts and chats from LGBTQ+ young people since its launch under Trump-signed legislation.
  • SAMHSA asserts that all callers can still access skilled crisis counselors through the general 988 number.
  • Trevor Project CEO Jaymes Black calls the shutdown "devastating" and urges Congress to restore the dedicated service.
  • The White House’s 2026 budget proposal eliminates funding for LGBTQ+ youth allocations within 988 and preserves its $520 million overall budget.