Content warning: This article discusses suicide. The day the federal 988 suicide hotline’s dedicated LGBTQ+ service was shut down in July 2025, 24-year-old Halle Gensler says they felt a “sense of dread.” A user of the helpline as a teenager, Gensler says they “didn’t even know about the queer community” growing up, and there was a “lot of stigma” surrounding LGBTQ+ people.
“When I did find [988’s LGBTQ+ line] as a teen, it was something I not only utilized in trying to figure out my own experiences, but something I knew I could rely on when I was in need,” the Chicago resident tells Her Campus. “There are still so many stigmas out there, especially for queer youth, and with it closing down, it felt very scary.” For Gensler, the elimination of specialized support felt cruel: “It sends a message that people aren’t deserving of help.”
This Mental Health Awareness Month marks almost a year since the elimination of LGBTQ+ youth services on the federal 988 suicide hotline, which closed after cuts by the Trump administration. The “press 3” option, which allowed LGBTQ+ people under 25 to access dedicated support and trained counselors, was used by an estimated 1.3 million queer young people since it was created in 2022.
According to an official statement from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the 988 hotline would no longer silo LGB+ (with the “T” notably absent) youth services to focus on “serving all help seekers.” Their statement read, in part, “The Press 3 option was established as a pilot program in Fiscal Year 2022 under a government agreement with a third party. The Fiscal Year 2023 Omnibus included a Congressional directive for $29.7 million to fund the specialized services. Federal funding in FY24 for the Press 3 services increased to $33 million. As of June 2025, more than $33 million in funds have been spent to support the subnetworks, fully expending the monies allocated for 988 Lifeline LGB+ subnetwork services.”
Dedicated LGBTQ+ support is crucial, as queer people are one of the most vulnerable communities when it comes to mental health: LGB youth are five times as likely to have attempted suicide than heterosexual youth, while 40% of trans adults report having attempted suicide, according to The Trevor Project.
Specialized support has also proven to be effective — a 2018 study in Crisis: The Journal Of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention found 26% of callers to an LGBTQ-specific national service provider would not have contacted another helpline.
The move to eliminate specialized LGBTQ+ support from the 988 line was widely criticized, with 69% of bipartisan voters opposing the plan, and a petition to protect the resource reaching over 54,000 signatures. And for queer folks in the United States, the impact of its removal was — and still is — immeasurable.
The moment Leah Juliett, a 29-year-old LGBTQ+ activist in Arkansas, learned the 988’s LGBTQ+ services were being closed, “it felt like a punch in the gut,” they say. “I’ve called 988 and spoken to crisis counselors at the lowest points of my life, so I know the impact of accessing help when you need it most. These trained, specialized counselors are a lifesaving resource for queer and trans youth nationwide.”
While the general 988 line still runs, Juliett says the LGBTQ+ service “saved my life,” adding that “when you’re in crisis, you want to be connected to someone who understands the foundation of your lived experience. It should never be the burden of the person in crisis to educate the counselor on the other end of the call about who they are.”
Gensler, who is a “Next Gen” advisor at NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), echoes this, explaining that a “big barrier with getting help initially” for them was feeling alone in moments of crisis, especially as a member of a marginalized group. “Even if it was an anonymous person, you knew they were representing the community,” Gensler says. “I always stepped away from those conversations feeling more comfortable and seen.”
Gracie Tran, 20, says she used the 988 hotline when she experienced suicidal ideation, and their “heart sank” when she found out the LGBTQ+ service was closing. The closure came as her anxiety worsened due to the political climate — especially as their girlfriend is transgender, and she lives in Texas, a right-wing state. She also says, “After the 2024 election, my best friend at the time, who was a transgender woman, felt very anxious and had to worry about things like her safety and whether she’d need to move, since where we’re from is considered hostile for queer and trans folk.”
Tran further expressed her concerns for the LGBTQ+ community’s security and well-being following the elimination of support. “The shutdown of this line represents a loss of safety,” Tran says. “If queer and trans folk no longer have a line to turn to, what are they to do?”
While it’s hard to measure the direct impact of the line’s closure, it can be felt by seeing the pressure other organizations are feeling to keep up with demand. LGBTQ+ mental health nonprofit The Trevor Project is one of the organizations attempting to fill the gap left by the 988 cuts after strongly campaigning against the line’s closure in 2025.
The move to shut the line represents a “public health failure,” according to Mark Henson, VP of Advocacy and Government Affairs at the Trevor Project. “When it comes to suicide prevention, creating tailored services to meet the unique needs of populations at the highest risk for suicide in the U.S., including veterans and LGBTQ+ youth, is a proven intervention strategy,” he says. “We know the availability of specialized services increases the likelihood of someone in need reaching out for help to begin with.”
Henson also adds that 50% of LGBTQ+ youth in the U.S. who wanted mental health care in the past year were unable to access it. “The federal government’s decision to remove this lifeline for LGBTQ+ young people was devastating, and has caused a significant strain on the already limited resources LGBTQ+ young people have,” he says.
While Gensler commends the Trevor Project for filling the gap left behind by the 988’s dedicated support, the closure of any resource is a loss for the community, and can lead to longer wait times on remaining services. In their experience of working with queer teenagers, Gensler says, “a lot of them are resorting to online spaces,” which – although helpful in some instances – can still exacerbate “isolation” if they’re unable to receive support in person.
With rising rates of homophobia and transphobia, as well as some state laws affecting LGBTQ+ youth at school, it can be even harder to know where to turn. “There’s still a big barrier for people to get help, or even for young people to talk openly about queer issues. So many queer people are only open within school, because they have to put that mask on when they are home,” Gensler explains. “It tears out my heart a little bit. They still may face those same challenges I did, which I thought we were beyond, even just a few years ago.”
Melody Li, a licensed therapist and founder of Inclusive Therapists, says dedicated support for 2SLGBTQIA+ people (Li wished to use this acronym to prioritise two-spirit people) is “essential and can be lifesaving.”
“Navigating mental health challenges and suicidal ideation as young people can be an isolating and scary experience,” they explain. “For 2SLGBTQIA+ youth, the discrimination and systemic harm they face compounds their pain and loneliness, heightening the risk for self-harm or suicide.”
Despite the loss of the LGBTQ+ 988 line — and against the backdrop of increasing attacks on LGBTQ+ rights across the country – Gen Z is managing to find support, whether it’s through other mental health organizations like Trans Lifeline or the Trevor Project, initiatives like Caravan of Hope connecting rural queer people in the South and Midwest, groups like LGBTQ+ run clubs that put an emphasis on mental health, in-person events with local queer communities, or even through inclusive media.
Users of the 988 hotline say that while the loss of specialized LGBTQ+ services was extremely difficult, mental health providers can use this moment to improve on previous and existing resources in a truly inclusive way. For Tran, an ideal form of support would be widespread access to affordable therapy in an affirming environment. “Supporting queer people when they need it most helps because it gives them a sense of safety, comfort, and understanding during times when they may feel alone or misunderstood,” she says. “It also reminds them that they don’t have to deal with everything by themselves. Sometimes, just knowing there are people who care and understand can mean everything.”
Juliett believes cutting the LGBTQ+ resource was “more than a shutdown — it was a symbol of the government’s disdain for our most vulnerable community members.” However, they say, “The community continues to come together to actively resist these policies and fill the gaps they have left behind.”
For Juliett, knowing this provides comfort in the absence of federal support. “I know that wherever I go, queer and trans folks will care for and be cared [for] by one another. It has always been this way,” they say. “So long as the government continues to come for queer and trans youth, we will keep loudly speaking out against it. We will protest the policies during the day and dance alongside one another into the night. We care for each other. We are the lifeline.”
If you or someone you know needs help or support, The Trevor Project’s trained crisis counselors are available 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386, via chat, or by texting START to 678678. You can also reach out to the Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860, or to your local suicide crisis center.
If you or someone you know is seeking help for mental health concerns, visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) website, or call 1-800-950-NAMI(6264). For confidential treatment referrals, visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) website, or call the National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP(4357).
In an emergency, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK(8255) or call 911.