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8h ago

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

Advocates warn removing the ‘Press 3’ option from the 988 Lifeline will leave high-risk queer youth without targeted mental health support.

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Crisis Service Coordinator Chris Bright (left) looks at a computer monitor with volunteers at the Trevor Project Call Center in West Hollywood, California in January 2017.
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Overview

  • SAMHSA announced that the 988 Lifeline’s “Press 3” LGBTQ+ youth subnetwork, launched in 2022, will cease operation on July 17, folding specialized services into the general line.
  • Since its inception, the Press 3 option has answered over 1.3 million calls, texts and online chats from LGBTQ+ young people seeking crisis intervention.
  • The agency maintains that all callers will still access skilled, culturally competent counselors, but will no longer have a dedicated path for gender-diverse youth under 25.
  • Trevor Project CEO Jaymes Black and major LGBTQ+ rights groups condemned the move as “devastating,” urging Congress to reinstate the evidence-based service.
  • Lawmakers across party lines, including Rep. Mike Lawler, criticized the decision as ill-timed and part of a broader rollback of diversity and inclusion policies.