The Department of Health and Human Services ended the LGBTQ+ component of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, citing exhausted funds. This decision faced backlash from lawmakers who emphasized the importance of the specialized "Press 3" option, which provided crisis counseling to LGBTQ+ youth. Organizations like the Trevor Project highlighted the urgent need for such resources due to higher suicide rates among LGBTQ+ youth. Critics described the funding rationale as inadequate and dangerous, arguing for the restoration of the service to support at-risk communities.
"LGBTQ youth are not political pawns," said Jaymes Black, CEO of the Trevor Project, addressing reporters gathered in the July heat. "They are our kids, our neighbors, our future, and they deserve to be heard when they call for help."
Rep. Andrea Salinas, a Democrat from Oregon, called the justification for ending the Press 3 option "insufficient and dangerous." LGBTQ+ young people are four times more likely to attempt suicide than their non-LGBTQ+ peers.
The Press 3 option, established in 2022, allowed LGBTQ+ youth in crisis to speak with counselors trained in culturally competent, trauma-informed care. More than 600,000 contacts were made through the service in 2024.
An HHS spokesperson stated, "The Press 3 option has run out of Congressionally directed funding. Continued operation would compromise the entire system of the main 988 Lifeline."
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