Loss of 988 Hotline Services Tailored to LGBTQ+ Youth

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On July 17, 2025, the 988 National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline will stop providing tailored support options to LGBTQ+ youth and young adults.¹ These specific services were available under the “Press 3” option via phone call or by texting “PRIDE.”

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) shared a statement this morning asking Congress to reconsider these cuts. Robert Gebbia, the chief executive officers of the AFSP, stated²: “Eliminating this service will put young lives at risk. Facing stigma and discrimination, LGBTQ+ youth are over 4 times more likely to attempt suicide than their peers, and in 2023, 41% of LGBTQ+ youth reported seriously considering suicide. These stark statistics underline the critical need for specialized support services, which research shows can build greater trust and lead to better outcomes in health and well-being for specific populations such as the LGTBQ+ community. AFSP stands with all those in the mental health community strongly urging Congress to reverse this decision and continue funding these critical, life-saving services for LGBTQ+ youth within the 988 Lifeline.”

Notably, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) statement on these cuts refers to “LGB+ youth services,”¹ excluding the T, Q, and + typical of this acronym, thereby specifically excluding transgender youth and the full spectrum of sexualities.

“This is devastating, to say the least. 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. 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,” said Jaymes Black, CEO of the Trevor Project, a nonprofit that provides 988 crisis support services for LGBTQ+ individuals.³

During the initial rollout of 988, the Trevor Project served as the sole provider for the pilot phase of 988 LGBTQ+ youth specialized services, before it transitiond to serve as 1 of 7 centers that currently make up the LGBTQ+ Youth Subnetwork. However, they do not have the capacity to handle all of the LGBTQ+ contacts made through 988. Additionally, it serves nearly 50% of the LGBTQ+ youth who contact the lifeline.³ Additionally, according to a Trevor Project survey, in 2024 alone, approximately 40% of LGBTQ youth considered suicide.⁴

Despite these cuts, the SAMHSA statement maintains that “Everyone who contacts the 988 Lifeline will continue to receive access to skilled, caring, culturally competent crisis counselors who can help with suicidal, substance misuse, or mental health crises, or any other kind of emotional distress. Anyone who calls the Lifeline will continue to receive compassion and help.”¹

References

1. SAMHSA statement on 988 press 3 option. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. June 17, 2025. Accessed June 19, 2025. https://www.samhsa.gov/about/news-announcements/statements/2025/samhsa-statement-988-press-3-option

2. Gebbia R. AFSP urges Congress to reconsider cuts to critical life-saving service for LGBTQ+ youth. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. June 19, 2025. Accessed June 19, 2025. https://afsp.org/story/afsp-urges-congress-to-reconsider-cuts-to-critical-life-saving-service-for-lgbtq

3. Trump Administration orders termination of national LGBTQ+ youth suicide lifeline, effective July 17th. The Trevor Project. June 18, 2025. Accessed June 19, 2025. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/blog/trump-administration-orders-termination-of-national-lgbtq-youth-suicide-lifeline-effective-july-17th/

4. 2024 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People. The Trevor Project. 2024. Accessed June 19, 2025. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2024/#intro