Fri Jun 20 06:00:00 UTC 2025: Here’s a news article summarizing the information, focusing on the key points and impact:

**Trump Administration Cuts Funding to LGBTQ Youth Suicide Prevention Hotline, Citing “Radical Gender Ideology”**

**Washington D.C. -** A dedicated component of the national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline specifically serving LGBTQ youth is set to close within 30 days after the Trump administration cut its funding. Administration officials claim the service promotes “radical gender ideology,” while LGBTQ advocates warn the decision will have a devastating impact on vulnerable young people.

The specialized service allowed LGBTQ youth to connect with trained counselors by selecting option 3 on the 988 Lifeline menu. The broader 988 Lifeline will continue operating, but no longer will silo LGBTQ+ youth services, SAMHSA wrote in a statement, omitting the T and Q that refers to transgender and queer people in the LGBTQ acronym. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which oversees the 988 Lifeline, stated that the remaining services will cater to all help seekers.

Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project, which helped run the LGBTQ option, condemned the decision, calling it “incomprehensible” and highlighting the service’s proven effectiveness in supporting a high-risk group. The Trevor Project alone handled over 231,000 crisis contacts through the 988 Lifeline in 2024. The closure comes amid International Pride Month and a recent Supreme Court decision upholding Tennessee’s ban on transition-related care for minors.

Legislation passed in 2020, with bipartisan support including then-President Trump, mandated that the 988 Lifeline provide specific services for LGBTQ individuals, recognizing that LGBTQ youth are significantly more likely to contemplate or attempt suicide. The law noted that LGBTQ youth were more than 4 times more likely to contemplate suicide than their peers, with 1 in 5 LGBTQ youth and more than 1 in 3 transgender youth reporting attempting suicide.

This move is the latest in a series of actions by the Trump administration aimed at curtailing services and support for transgender individuals, including efforts to end diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, ban transgender individuals from military service, and restrict gender options on passports.

The Trevor Project stated it will continue providing its own independent services.

**If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, you could speak to a health professional, or an organization that offers support. Details of help available in many countries can be found at Befrienders Worldwide. http://www.befrienders.org In the UK a list of organizations that can help is available at bbc.co.uk/actionline**

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