Trump Admin Shutters Suicide Hotline For LGBTQ Youth 

The “pro-life” party is once again proving that it only cares about the lives of straight, cisgender people. Earlier this week, the Trump administration announced that it would be shuttering a line on the national suicide hotline specifically made for LGBTQ youth.

According to CBS News, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration announced that the “press 3 option” will be removed from the national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. “On July 17, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline will no longer silo LGB+ youth services, also known as the ‘Press 3 option,’ to focus on serving all help seekers, including those previously served through the Press 3 option,” the statement released by SAMHSA reads.

“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,” the statement continued. 

The “press 3 option” was created in 2022 as a pilot project in conjunction with The Trevor Project, a nonprofit focused on suicide prevention for LGBTQ youth. When the press 3 option launched in 2022, the hotline saw a 40 percent increase in calls. 

It’s unclear if the people who worked on the specialized line would be folded into the mix of current crisis counselors or cut from the hotline outright. Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project, released a statement condemning the move by the administration. 

“We received official notice that the Trump administration has ordered the closure of The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services program, effective July 17, 2025. This means that, in 30 short days, this program that has provided life-saving services to more than 1.3 million LGBTQ+ young people will no longer be available for those who need it,” the statement read. 

“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.”

It shouldn’t be lost on anyone that this particularly cruel move comes during Pride month, which has already been more subdued as a result of the actions by the Trump administration. The crackdown on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has seen multiple pride events scaled down as funding usually set aside for pride has been withdrawn. The statement was also particularly gross in how it dropped the “T” in “LGBTQ,” which Black also noted in his statement. 

“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” Black wrote. 

It’s clear that the Trump administration wants LGBTQ people to die. I’m not even being hyperbolic, as the National Institutes of Health have slashed millions of dollars in funding for several grants aimed at sexual health for LGBTQ Americans. A recent court ruling blocked a Trump executive order that pulled funding from several LGBTQ non-profits, saying that the vague wording of the order infringed on their First Amendment rights. 

Across the board the Trump administration is doing everything it can to make life harder, and quite frankly, deadlier for queer and trans youth. 

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline can be reached by calling or texting 988. You can also chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline here.

The Trevor Project’s trained crisis counselors are available 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386, via chat at TheTrevorProject.org/Get-Help, or by texting START to 678678.

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