"Trump defunded the LGBTQ+ individuals' suicide hotline on July 17th. This defunding affects the community as a whole, and many feel like this is a direct attack on the LGBTQ+ community."--Evie ahlers, 6th grade
Trump defunded the LGBTQ+ individuals' suicide hotline on July 17th. This defunding affects the community as a whole, and many feel like this is a direct attack on the LGBTQ+ community.
“Kids are going to die,” says Seth Moulton, who co-sponsored the legislation that paved the way for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. “This is actually the kind of thing Republicans should care about if they really care about American kids, because an extraordinary percentage of the people who call this lifeline in a moment of crisis say that it saved their lives.”
“As a veteran, I know how much it means to my fellow veterans to be able to push a button when they call 988 and get connected directly to a veterans crisis counselor — someone who’s trained to deal with veterans. Well, LGBTQ kids need that, too,” he added. “Sadly, more children are going to die in America because of this cut.”
A lot of people are angry at this defunding, considering how this resource for LGBTQ+ youth has had a positive impact on helping individuals to get out of debilitating depression. Suicide prevention should be a thing everyone agrees on, yet not everyone loves the idea of LGBTQ+ people getting that kind of help. Especially since self harm rates for LGBTQ+ youth are higher than cis and hetero youth.
NPR reported in 2024 that, “States that passed anti-transgender laws aimed at minors saw suicide attempts by transgender and gender nonconforming teenagers increase by as much as 72% in the following years.” That same year, the Newport Academy reported that “39 percent of LGBTQ+ young people considered suicide in the past year—including 46 percent of transgender and nonbinary young people and that more than 1 in 10 LGBTQ+ young people attempted suicide.”
“This is devastating, to say the least,” said Jaymes Black, the CEO of The Trevor Project. “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.”
Trump has taken away a powerful tool that over 1.3 million LGBTQ+ people have used- according to data available on the SAMHSA website-and in putting an end to the organization, less people in the community are able to get the help they need.
The Trevor Project is openly fighting against this defunding- mainly because they were the ones who made crisis counselors for LGBTQ+ individuals and they are one of the substitutes for the LGBTQ+ 988 hotline. “I want every LGBTQ+ young person to know that you are worthy, you are loved, and you belong – despite this heartbreaking news. The Trevor Project’s crisis counselors are here for you 24/7, just as we always have been, to help you navigate anything you might be feeling right now.” Jaymes Black has also stated. The Trevor Project managed crisis counselling and as Black has stated, they aren’t going to stop fighting and will always be helping anyone who calls.
What really affected the community is taking away this addition to the hotline, and more people should know how much support it provided. SAMHSA did not add any reason attached to the announcement, apart from: “focus on serving all help seekers.” and SAMHSA had said that it “promoted gender ideology” Yet, it is a suicide hotline and all the volontiers are trying to do is helping resolve a dark moment. And as Seth Moulton said earlier, it does help to have specialized people helping you.
“There's two reasons the administration is saying that this line is being cut. The first is that 988 overall can handle the calls that the LGBTQ service would have received. And the second is the administration is saying that the service was fostering gender ideology beliefs among young people and trying to convince young people of gender ideologies. This is patently not what's happening when somebody calls the line. They're calling a line because they're in crisis, and the line is helping resolve that moment for the individual.” Said Lindsey Dawson, The Associate Director for HIV Policy and the Director for LGBTQ Health Policy on PBS News.
We shouldn’t have to fight so hard against people who aren’t hurting anyone. We have to accept that, at the end of the day, everyone is different, and hating won’t change that. No one should be hurting because of who they are and who they love. We get to choose our fights, and this one shouldn’t even be on the table.
“Kids are going to die,” says Seth Moulton, who co-sponsored the legislation that paved the way for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. “This is actually the kind of thing Republicans should care about if they really care about American kids, because an extraordinary percentage of the people who call this lifeline in a moment of crisis say that it saved their lives.”
“As a veteran, I know how much it means to my fellow veterans to be able to push a button when they call 988 and get connected directly to a veterans crisis counselor — someone who’s trained to deal with veterans. Well, LGBTQ kids need that, too,” he added. “Sadly, more children are going to die in America because of this cut.”
A lot of people are angry at this defunding, considering how this resource for LGBTQ+ youth has had a positive impact on helping individuals to get out of debilitating depression. Suicide prevention should be a thing everyone agrees on, yet not everyone loves the idea of LGBTQ+ people getting that kind of help. Especially since self harm rates for LGBTQ+ youth are higher than cis and hetero youth.
NPR reported in 2024 that, “States that passed anti-transgender laws aimed at minors saw suicide attempts by transgender and gender nonconforming teenagers increase by as much as 72% in the following years.” That same year, the Newport Academy reported that “39 percent of LGBTQ+ young people considered suicide in the past year—including 46 percent of transgender and nonbinary young people and that more than 1 in 10 LGBTQ+ young people attempted suicide.”
“This is devastating, to say the least,” said Jaymes Black, the CEO of The Trevor Project. “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.”
Trump has taken away a powerful tool that over 1.3 million LGBTQ+ people have used- according to data available on the SAMHSA website-and in putting an end to the organization, less people in the community are able to get the help they need.
The Trevor Project is openly fighting against this defunding- mainly because they were the ones who made crisis counselors for LGBTQ+ individuals and they are one of the substitutes for the LGBTQ+ 988 hotline. “I want every LGBTQ+ young person to know that you are worthy, you are loved, and you belong – despite this heartbreaking news. The Trevor Project’s crisis counselors are here for you 24/7, just as we always have been, to help you navigate anything you might be feeling right now.” Jaymes Black has also stated. The Trevor Project managed crisis counselling and as Black has stated, they aren’t going to stop fighting and will always be helping anyone who calls.
What really affected the community is taking away this addition to the hotline, and more people should know how much support it provided. SAMHSA did not add any reason attached to the announcement, apart from: “focus on serving all help seekers.” and SAMHSA had said that it “promoted gender ideology” Yet, it is a suicide hotline and all the volontiers are trying to do is helping resolve a dark moment. And as Seth Moulton said earlier, it does help to have specialized people helping you.
“There's two reasons the administration is saying that this line is being cut. The first is that 988 overall can handle the calls that the LGBTQ service would have received. And the second is the administration is saying that the service was fostering gender ideology beliefs among young people and trying to convince young people of gender ideologies. This is patently not what's happening when somebody calls the line. They're calling a line because they're in crisis, and the line is helping resolve that moment for the individual.” Said Lindsey Dawson, The Associate Director for HIV Policy and the Director for LGBTQ Health Policy on PBS News.
We shouldn’t have to fight so hard against people who aren’t hurting anyone. We have to accept that, at the end of the day, everyone is different, and hating won’t change that. No one should be hurting because of who they are and who they love. We get to choose our fights, and this one shouldn’t even be on the table.
