Trump Admin to Shut Down LGBTQ+ Youth Suicide Hotline

Tailored support line ends July 17; critics warn of lethal consequences.

Photo by Jae Park on Unsplash

The Trump administration will end the 988 Lifeline’s specialized services for LGBTQ+ youth next month, cutting off a crisis support line that has served 1.3 million callers since 2022. The “Press 3” option, which connected young LGBTQ+ callers to trained counselors, will be eliminated starting July 17. (AP)

Admin Defends Move as Anti-‘Gender Ideology’

The Department of Health and Human Services says the change is meant to “no longer silo” services and to “focus on serving all help seekers, including those previously served through the Press 3 option.” (NBC)

A White House spokesperson defended the decision, saying the federal budget “does not, however, grant taxpayer money to a chat service where children are encouraged to embrace radical gender ideology by ‘counselors’ without consent or knowledge of their parents.” (The Hill)

Advocates Warn of Harm to LGBTQ Youth

Critics argue the move is dangerous and politically motivated. “Suicide prevention is about people, not politics. 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.” said Trevor Project CEO Jaymes Black. (Newsweek)

Daniel Gillison Jr. of NAMI added, “We at NAMI are incredibly disheartened that the administration has announced the elimination of these services for America's LGBTQ+ youth, a community that, tragically, is at high risk for suicide.” (Newsweek)

The decision leaves unanswered questions about how at-risk youth will be supported moving forward - and whether this signals deeper policy shifts still to come.

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Inside the Shutdown: What Ending the LGBTQ+ Lifeline Really Means

🔐 Become a Pro Subscriber to unlock today’s Pro Brief, where we break down the suicide risk facing LGBTQ+ youth, the budget behind the hotline’s closure, rare Republican backlash, and what the move signals about Trump’s broader LGBTQ+ agenda.