A leaked federal budget proposal has revealed plans to eliminate specialized suicide prevention services for LGBTQ+ youth through the national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, launched in 2022, was designed as a universal, easy-to-remember number for individuals in mental health crisis-similar to 911 for emergencies. Since its inception, the hotline has featured specialized options for high-risk groups, including veterans and LGBTQ+ youth. Callers could press “3” to connect with counselors trained specifically to address the unique challenges faced by LGBTQ+ young people.
The cuts will only affect the sub-line specifically for LBGTQ+ youth.
Other components of the 988 Lifeline, such as the general crisis support, the Veterans Crisis Line (press “1”), and Spanish-language services (press “2”), are not included in the proposed cuts.
According to federal data, the LGBTQ+ subnetwork has handled over 1.2 million calls, texts, and chats since its launch, with an average of more than 2,000 contacts per day in recent months. Mental health experts note that LGBTQ+ youth are over four times more likely to attempt suicide than their non-LGBTQ+ peers, making access to culturally competent crisis support a critical lifeline.
The budget proposal, first reported last week, would end all federal funding for the LGBTQ+ youth specialized services within the 988 Lifeline as of October 1, 2025, if approved by Congress. The move is part of broader discretionary budget cuts for mental health services under the Trump administration.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth ages 10 to 14 and the third leading cause for those ages 15 to 24. LGBTQ+ young people are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide compared to their non-LGBTQ+ peers. The Trevor Project estimates that over 1.8 million LGBTQ+ youth in the United States seriously consider suicide each year, with at least one LGBTQ+ young person attempting suicide every 45 seconds.
“Suicide prevention is about risk, not identity. Ending the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s LGBTQ+ youth specialized services will not just strip away access from millions of LGBTQ+ kids and teens – it will put their lives at risk,” said Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project. “These programs were implemented to address a proven, unprecedented, and ongoing mental health crisis among our nation’s young people with strong bipartisan support in Congress and signed into law by President Trump himself.”
“To end suicide in this country, we need more resources – not fewer. We urge the Administration to maintain its long-standing commitment to ending suicide among high-risk populations, especially our nation’s young people. We urge Congress to defend its establishment of this data-based, bipartisan program to allow its life-saving services to continue for generations to come. We do not have to agree on every policy issue to agree that every young life is worth saving.”
