MAGA move: Trump admin axes LGBTQ youth suicide hotline; critics warn ‘kids will die'
The Trump administration has stopped a special phone service that helped LGBTQ kids and young adults with mental health problems. This move has upset many people, including Democrats, doctors, and LGBTQ rights groups.
This service was part of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It let callers under 25 talk to trained counsellors who understand LGBTQ issues. NBC News reported that the government shut it down.
The service started in October 2022. It was known as the 'Press 3' option. People could press 3 or text the word 'PRIDE' to speak to someone who could really understand them. Since it began, nearly 1.5 million people have used it.
The government agency SAMHSA said last month it would no longer keep this special line just for LGBTQ kids.
They said they want to help all callers in the same way.
Jaymes Black, the head of The Trevor Project, which helped run the service, said stopping it was 'unfathomable.' He told NBC: 'This administration has made a dangerous decision to play politics with real young people's lives. Sadly, more children are going to die in America because of this cut.'
People from both political parties were upset. Democrat Rep. Seth Moulton said on MSNBC: 'Kids are going to die.
This is actually the kind of thing Republicans should care about if they really care about American kids.'
He also said: 'As a veteran, I know how much it means to my fellow veterans to be able to push a button when they call 988 and get connected directly to a veterans crisis counsellor. Well, LGBTQ kids need that, too.'
Republican Mike Lawler agreed. At a press event, he said, 'Cutting a programme that is working, that is meeting a real and growing need, just does not make sense.'
SAMHSA explained that the LGBTQ youth service had no more funding from Congress. They said if they kept it, they would have to remove help from other parts of the 988 hotline. The veterans' option to press 1 is still available.
California governor Gavin Newsom reacted quickly. He said California will now work with The Trevor Project to train 988 crisis workers to understand LGBTQ youth better. He said, 'While the Trump administration continues its attacks on LGBTQ kids, California has a message to the community: we see you and we're here for you.'
If LGBTQ youth need help, they can still contact The Trevor Project.
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