A leaked budget draft obtained by The Washington Post shows that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) plans to cut funding for suicide prevention programs specialized in handling situations with LGBTQ+ youth. This includes completely defunding the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services, starting in October.

Though The Washington Post published their story last Wednesday, there was little to no mention of plans to cut funding for LGBTQ+ youth programs within government-funded mental health services, and mainly focused on cuts to federal agencies that focus on public health and research.

Related

LGBTQ+ youth flee hateful states: 266,000 young people have moved to more inclusive states
They don’t want to live in states that are legislating away their rights.

But yesterday, the Trevor Project reported that the leaked budget draft proposed eliminating all funding to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services, the federal program that provides emergency crisis support for LGBTQ+ youth at risk of suicide. 

Never Miss a Beat

Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights.
Subscribe to our Newsletter today

On page 14 of the PDF for the budgeting proposal, it states that the Trump administration plans to merge the Substance and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) into a new office called the Administration for a Healthy America (AHA). Through this plan, the administration will cut federal funding for LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services in addition to programs for SAMHSA that help other marginalized groups with access to mental health services.

“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,” Trevor Project CEO Jaymes Black said in a statement. “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.”

The Trevor Project has been leading the charge in mental health advocacy from within the LGBTQ+ community. The nonprofit offers a crisis support hotline for LGBTQ+ people dealing with suicidal thoughts, domestic violence, and other serious issues. 

Since the establishment of the LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services in 2023, there has been strong evidence supporting that these services have made a positive impact in decreasing the risk of suicide in LGBTQ+ youth, according to mental health experts.

While not completely defunding the 988 lifeline, it is important to understand why programs like the LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services exist. Unlike most non-LGBTQ+ people, there are specific barriers and needs for this community that need to be taken into consideration. According to this report from The Trevor Project, LGBTQ+ youth face difficulty accessing mental health care due to fear of discrimination and a lack of understanding from providers.  

This lack of support in society and the stigma associated with being LGBTQ+ have contributed to LGBTQ+ youth being four times more likely than their non-LGBTQ+ peers to attempt suicide, and experience increased rates of depression, anxiety, and bullying. A now removed 2021 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website found that 45% of queer high school students had considered suicide and trans youth face higher rates of suicidal thoughts.

The Trevor Project’s crisis service saw a 33% increase in calls and messages on the day of Trump’s inauguration compared to weeks prior, and a 700% increase in contacts on November 6th, the day after it was announced Donald Trump won the presidential election.

“The current political environment in the U.S. is heavy, but it is so important for LGBTQ+ young people to know that they do not have to shoulder this weight alone,” Black said at the time.

The budget proposal would go into effect on October 1, but the changes would first need to be approved by Congress before taking effect. The Trevor Project is hoping to urge Congress to defend these programs that save lives and deny approval to the HHS.

If this story affected you, just know you are not alone. The Trans Lifeline Hotline offers support to trans/nonbinary people struggling with mental health from 10 A.M. to 6 P.M. PST Monday-Friday. Call (877) 565-8860 to be connected to a trans/nonbinary peer operator and receive full anonymity and confidentiality. The Trevor Project Lifeline, for LGBTQ+ youth ages 24 and younger, can be reached at (866) 488-7386.

Subscribe to the LGBTQ Nation newsletter and be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.