This Hotline Has Saved Countless LGBTQ+ Lives. Trump Is Shutting It Down.

On Thursday, the “press three” suicide-and-crisis lifeline will go dark.

By Danielle Han  |  July 16, 2025 | 4:23pm
Photo: iStockphoto
This Hotline Has Saved Countless LGBTQ+ Lives. Trump Is Shutting It Down.

988 is here to help. For now.

Dial the suicide-and-crisis lifeline, and you’ll be asked a few prompts before being referred to a general counselor: Are you a Spanish-speaking person? Press one. Are you a veteran? Press two. Are you part of the LGBTQ+ community? Press three.

The “press three” option (also available for texters by replying “PRIDE”) connects callers and texters to a network of suicide counselors and mental-health specialists. Since launching in 2022, it has received more than 1.4 million calls, texts, and chats, according to data by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. But on Thursday, the LGBTQ+ line will go dark.

A victim of MAGA 2.0’s sweeping funding cuts (and of Trump’s crusade on its “racial gender ideology”), “press three” services are ending this week. It actually marks a reversal of the president’s first term, during which he signed the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act, and set up the 9-8-8 hotline to begin with. The new decision’s timing was especially ironic and particularly cruel: announced at the height of Pride Month, it gave supporting organizations like the Trevor Project just one month to prepare. 

The move was “devastating,” the organization’s CEO said at the time. “Suicide prevention is about people, not politics.” LGBTQ+ youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide than their peers, the Trevor Project reports, and more than 1.8 million LGBTQ+ people aged 13-24 seriously consider suicide every year in the U.S., with one attempting every 45 seconds. The recent political climate has been specifically hostile for transgender youth, who flooded hotlines after Trump’s election–a probable consequence of his anti-trans campaign.

Beyond the dismal social implications, the decision is also economically unsound. As of June 2025, funding for the “press three” line has just barely exceeded $33 million. But that is just a tiny fraction (0.006%) of the huge cost ($510 billion) behind U.S. yearly suicide and self-harm rates. 

Ahead of the “press three” option going dark, the Trevor Project has seen a 20% increase in calls and messages, a member of its team reports. While it’s still planning on running 24/7 support through its own hotline and messaging networks, the shake-up has caused delayed wait times, with some users waiting up to 60 minutes to receive support. 

Luckily, there’s a number of organizations fighting back. Queer publications such as Them have published comprehensive resource lists on private hotlines; Los Angeles County supervisors are planning to maintain local services; and the Trevor Project has vowed (along with Paris Hilton, Pedro Pascal, and others) in an open letter that it would not stop fighting for LGBTQ+ youth. Come what may, support is still out there.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis or emotional distress, please dial 988. The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is still live. 

For LGBTQ+ Crisis Helplines, visit:

For more resources, visit Them

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