Trump administration to end LGBTQ+ youth support on 988 crisis line
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LGBTQ+ youth and young adults will soon no longer be able to get tailored support options from the 988 National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline starting July 17, according to a statement on a federal agency's website.
The decision preempts the Trump administration's 2026 budget proposal to cut funding for 988's LGBTQ+ youth and young adult services, and is raising alarm bells among LGBTQ+ advocates.
News of the LGBTQ+ service shutting down comes as the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors on Wednesday.
By the numbers:
Federal data shows the LGBTQ+ youth program has served nearly 1.3 million callers since it started in September 2022. The services were accessible under the "Press 3" option on the phone or by replying "PRIDE" via text.
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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there were 49,300 suicides in 2023 — about the highest level in the nation’s history, based on preliminary data.
Dig deeper:
The decision was made to "no longer silo" the services and "to focus on serving all help seekers, including those previously served through the Press 3 option," the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) said in a statement dated Tuesday on its website.
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The specific 988 subprogram for LGBTQ+ youth cost $33 million in fiscal year 2024, according to SAMHSA, and as of June 2025, more than $33 million has been spent on the services. The Trump administration's 2026 budget proposal called for keeping 988's total budget at $520 million even while eliminating the LGBTQ+ services.
The other side:
The Trevor Project said it received official notice Tuesday that the program was ending. The nonprofit is one of seven centers that provides 988 crisis support services for LGBTQ+ people — and serves nearly half of the people who contact the lifeline.
Teens texting.
" Suicide prevention is about people, not politics," Trevor Project CEO Jaymes Black said in a statement Wednesday. "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."
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In its statement on the 988 decision, SAMHSA referred to the "LGB+ youth services."
Black called the omission of the "T" representing transgender people "callous." "Transgender people can never, and will never, be erased," he said.
What's next:
The Trevor Project will continue to run its 24/7 mental health support services, as will other organizations, and leaders of 988 say the hotline will serve anyone who calls with compassion.
Why you should care:
Studies have shown that LGBTQ+ youth are at higher risk of suicide, including a 2024 analysis by the CDC that found 26% transgender and gender-questioning students attempted suicide in the past year. That's compared with 5% of cisgender male and 11% of cisgender female students.
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Young transgender people flooded crisis hotlines with calls after President Donald Trump was re-elected. Trump made anti-transgender themes central to his campaign and has since rolled back many civil rights protections and access to gender-affirming care.
Trump signed the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020 into law in October 2020.
What you can do:
If you or a loved one is feeling distressed, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Line for free and confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
CLICK HERE for the warning signs and risk factors of suicide and CLICK HERE for more on the 988 Lifeline.
The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this report. The information in this story comes from a statement posted on the website of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), as well as public comments from The Trevor Project and federal data on the 988 Lifeline program. This story was reported from Los Angeles.