The Trump Administration has announced it will eliminate funding for a suicide crisis line specifically designed for queer youth, effective just one month from now. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s LGBTQ Youth Specialized Services, which offers life-saving support to queer youth in crisis, will be shut down on July 17, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration confirmed Wednesday.
The decision accelerates a previously leaked plan that aimed to close the program by October 1. Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project, said, “The administration’s decision to remove a bipartisan, evidence-based service that has effectively supported a high-risk group of young people through their darkest moments is incomprehensible. The fact that this news comes to us halfway through Pride Month is callous – as is the administration’s choice to remove the ‘T’ from the acronym ‘LGBTQ+’ in their announcement. Transgender people can never, and will never, be erased.”
According to The Trevor Project, more than 1.8 million queer youth in the U.S. seriously consider suicide each year—with at least one attempt every 45 seconds. The LGBTQ crisis line has already reached 1.2 million people, while the broader 988 Lifeline has served over 14 million. In moments of national political change, the need spikes.
The day after Trump’s 2024 win, the Trevor Project reported a 700% increase in crisis contacts. However, there’s still hope. The funding cut isn’t final. Congress has the power to reverse it. The Trevor Project is calling on legislators to restore funding for the Lifeline. Individuals can also support by visiting TheTrevorProject.org/ActNow.
