A specialized part of the US national suicide prevention hotline that caters to LGBTQ youth is set to be shut down within 30 days, following a decision by the Trump administration to cut its federal funding.
Key Details:
The LGBTQ youth line is part of the broader 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, a free mental health service operated by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Option 3, which directly connected LGBTQ youth to trained counselors, will be eliminated.
The Trevor Project, which helped operate the LGBTQ segment, criticized the move, calling it a dangerous rollback of services for high-risk individuals.
According to the Trevor Project, the LGBTQ option handled more than 231,000 crisis contacts in 2024.
Why the Cut?
SAMHSA stated the hotline will now serve “all help seekers” equally, arguing that specialized options may “silo” services.
However, an HHS spokesperson told NBC News that the LGBTQ-specific service promoted “radical gender ideology” and implied it operated without adequate parental oversight.
Critics see this as part of a wider effort by the Trump administration to roll back federal protections for transgender and queer people.
Wider Political Context:
The decision comes during Pride Month and shortly after the US Supreme Court upheld a ban on gender-affirming healthcare for minors in Tennessee.
The change also follows a 2020 law, passed with bipartisan support and signed by Trump, which required targeted support in suicide prevention services for vulnerable groups including LGBTQ youth.
Research cited in that law noted that 1 in 5 LGBTQ youth and over 1 in 3 transgender youth had attempted suicide.
Policy Shifts Under Trump:
The administration has:
Ended federal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.
Ordered the removal of transgender personnel from the military.
Signed an executive order recognizing only male and female as legal sexes.
Removed the ability for passport applicants to choose “X” as a gender marker.
What Happens Next?
While 988’s LGBTQ option will be removed, The Trevor Project says it will continue its independent crisis services.
The general 988 hotline remains operational, but without the specific route to LGBTQ-trained counselors.
