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The 988 National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline will eliminate its LGBTQ+ youth-specific support option on July 17, according to a federal announcement that has triggered deep concern among mental health experts and LGBTQ+ advocates.
The decision, posted Tuesday by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), will end the dedicated “Press 3” phone option and “PRIDE” text feature that connected LGBTQ+ youth and young adults with trained crisis counselors attuned to their specific needs.
Since the program’s launch in September 2022, it has handled nearly 1.3 million calls and messages, helping thousands of young people through episodes of distress, depression, and suicidal ideation.
SAMHSA framed the decision as a move to better “serve all help seekers,” suggesting a shift away from tailored services in favor of broader integration. “We will no longer silo services,” the agency stated, emphasizing a commitment to inclusive crisis care.
But advocates fear this is a veiled response to political pressure—and a prelude to budget-driven rollbacks.
Political and Funding Concerns
The move comes just months before the Trump administration’s 2026 budget proposal, which calls for eliminating LGBTQ+-specific funding within the 988 Lifeline, despite proposing to maintain the program’s overall $520 million budget.
In fiscal year 2024, SAMHSA said it spent $33 million on the LGBTQ+ youth program. Critics say this cut ignores overwhelming evidence that LGBTQ+ youth, particularly transgender students, are disproportionately at risk.
“Suicide prevention is about people, not politics,” said Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project, a leading mental health support organization for LGBTQ+ youth. “Ending a bipartisan, evidence-based program that supported a high-risk group is incomprehensible.”
The Trevor Project, which provides nearly half of all LGBTQ+ support through 988, confirmed it received official notice of the shutdown on Tuesday. The group plans to continue operating its own 24/7 hotline outside of the federal system.
LGBTQ+ Youth Face Crisis Conditions
The decision arrives amid a wave of anti-LGBTQ+ policy developments, including Wednesday’s Supreme Court decision upholding Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors. Advocates say the rollback of 988’s LGBTQ+ services compounds an already hostile climate.
Federal research underlines the stakes: A 2024 CDC study found that 26% of transgender and gender-questioning youth reported attempting suicide in the past year—five times higher than the rate among cisgender male peers.
And as political rhetoric intensifies, hotline workers report surges in crisis calls. Transgender youth, in particular, reached out in higher numbers after former President Trump’s reelection, fearing new waves of anti-trans policies.
“Transgender people can never, and will never, be erased,” Black added, slamming SAMHSA’s omission of the “T” from its public statement.
A Structural Overhaul Ahead?
The change also reflects broader restructuring plans. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has proposed folding SAMHSA into a new Administration for a Healthy America, merging it with other agencies overseeing workplace safety and chemical exposures.
Advocates worry this consolidation could lead to a further deprioritization of mental health services—particularly those focused on vulnerable groups.
While 988 administrators insist that all callers will continue to receive support, experts say general crisis lines may not offer the affirming, identity-sensitive counseling that LGBTQ+ youth often require during moments of severe distress.
What’s Next?
Although the federal support line is ending its tailored LGBTQ+ service, nonprofits like The Trevor Project and LGBTQ+-focused telehealth providers vow to step in. Still, with suicides in the U.S. reaching a record 49,300 in 2023, according to preliminary CDC data, the loss of any proven resource is drawing sharp criticism.
“Removing this service sends the wrong message to LGBTQ+ youth,” said Dr. Angela Rivers, a clinical psychologist specializing in youth suicide prevention. “They are already targeted in society—and now, they’re losing lifelines.”
The public has until July 17 to weigh in, but unless reversed, the decision marks a significant shift in how the federal government addresses LGBTQ+ mental health in a post-pandemic, politically charged landscape.
