As celebrations lit up Washington, D.C. for WorldPride, a quieter move by the Trump administration has sparked outrage across the queer community. The Department of Health and Human Services released its Fiscal Year 2026 budget. Hidden in the pages: a finalized plan to eliminate funding for the LGBTQ youth services within the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline—effective October 1. This decision ends specialized crisis care that has served over 1.3 million LGBTQ youth since 2022. The Trevor Project, one of the key partners, warns that the cut could be catastrophic.
Trevor Project CEO Jaymes Black said,
“We do not have to agree on every policy issue to agree that every young American’s life is worth saving…It is deeply upsetting to see the administration reverse course on an evidence-backed, bipartisan program.”
The timing is striking. While WorldPride brought thousands to D.C. in celebration, advocates, including Ariana Grande, Daniel Radcliffe, and Pedro Pascal, joined in protest, signing a public letter to save the lifeline.
John MacPhee of The Jed Foundation said,
“More than one million crisis calls have been routed to these LGBTQ+ focused services since 2022… The current budget proposal puts young lives in danger.”
The White House has declined to comment. But LGBTQ leaders say they won’t stay silent because lives are on the line.
