The Trump administration is planning on cutting funding for the 988 suicide hotline specialized in LGBTQ+ services, according to a leaked memo outlining the restructuring of the Department of Health and Human Services. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services will be eliminated on October 1, 2025, according to The Trevor Project.
“Suicide prevention is about risk, not identity. Ending the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s LGBTQ+ youth specialized services will not just strip away access from millions of LGBTQ+ kids and teens – it will put their lives at risk,” Jaymes Black, the CEO of The Trevor Project said. “These programs were implemented to address a proven, unprecedented, and ongoing mental health crisis among our nation’s young people with strong bipartisan support in Congress and signed into law by President Trump himself.”
“I want to be clear to all LGBTQ+ young people: This news, while upsetting, is not final. And regardless of federal funding shifts, The Trevor Project remains available 24/7 for anyone who needs us, just as we always have,” they added.
LGBTQ+ youth are a population at risk when it comes to suicide
Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among those aged 10 to 24-years-old. LGBTQ+ youth is four times more likely to attempt dying of suicide than their peers.
“Suicide remains a serious public health concern in the U.S., and we know from research that certain groups have higher risk, including Veterans and LGBTQ+ youth. This is why these groups have dedicated services within the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, where uniquely trained counselors help prevent suicide in these disproportionately impacted populations,” Robert Gebbia, the CEO of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention said. “We understand that funding may be eliminated for 988 LGBTQ+ specialized services, and we urge the administration to continue its existing support for crisis services, including those for at-risk LGBTQ+ youth. These crisis response services are effective and save young lives.”
988 was implemented under the previous Trump administration with bipartisan efforts
The phone line was set in place after Donald Trump signed a bipartisan bill in October 2020. It was then launched in July 2022 under the Joe Biden administration. It opened as a hotline for those seeking mental health support, according to CNN. The government has invested around $1.5 billion into this project.
The program has served 14 million crisis calls since its creation. The Trevor Project took on 50% of services to LGBTQ+ youth who requested a specialized line.
Are other specialized lines under 988 at risk?
Shortly after its launch, the 988 hotline included a subnetwork for specialized services, which included service for LGBTQ+ people, as well as a special line in Spanish and for veterans.
“There’s been some discussion and questions about whether the LGBTQ+ line will remain, and so I am concerned about that part of 988,” Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, HHS’s assistant secretary for mental health and substance during the Biden administration, said. “I’m concerned about SAMHSA overall. Certainly, there have been a lot of questions.”
