Political Notebook: Trump admin ends LGBTQ youth suicide counselors

The Trump administration is ending specialized suicide counselors for youth struggling with their sexual orientation and gender identity as of July 17. The administration had already proposed cutting an estimated $50 million for the service in the next fiscal year budget that begins October 1.

Initially approved in 2020 during Republican President Donald Trump’s first term, the specially trained counselors since the fall of 2022 have handled calls made by LGBTQ youth to the national 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Callers under the age of 25 to the phoneline can press 3 in order to be connected with an LGBTQ trained crisis counselor; they can also text the word PRIDE to 988.

The support is offered by the LGBTQ+ Youth Subnetwork of seven different agencies, with the Trevor Project handling nearly 50% of the calls and receiving half of the funds. Last year, the nonprofit fielded more than 231,000 crisis contacts, and trained and supported nearly 250 crisis counselors and operational support staff through the 988 Lifeline.

“Demand continues to grow pretty dramatically, so that need is out there,” said Mark Henson, the Trevor Project’s vice president of advocacy and government affairs.

Yet, late Tuesday, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration announced the counselors would no longer serve queer and trans youth as of next month. In doing so, it used the acronym LGB+, dropping the T for transgender due to Trump’s efforts to erase trans people’s existence in the eyes of the federal government.

“On July 17, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline will no longer silo LGB+ youth services, also known as the 'Press 3 option,' to focus on serving all help seekers, including those previously served through the Press 3 option,” SAMHSA notified providers of the service.

Jaymes Black, a genderqueer person who is CEO of The Trevor Project, lambasted the decision.

“This is devastating, to say the least. Suicide prevention is about people, not politics. The administration’s decision to remove a bipartisan, evidence-based service that has effectively supported a high-risk group of young people through their darkest moments is incomprehensible,” stated Black. “The fact that this news comes to us halfway through Pride Month is callous – as is the administration’s choice to remove the ‘T’ from the acronym ‘LGBTQ+’ in their announcement. Transgender people can never, and will never, be erased.”

Between last November through February the Trevor Project counselors averaged 60,000 calls per month, the most recent period for such data, according to the agency. In surveys it conducts with LGBTQ youth, the Trevor Project consistently finds that many struggle with thoughts about ending their life.

And queer and trans young people in California are not immune, despite the state’s supportive policies for the LGBTQ community. As the Bay Area Reporter reported in March, 35% of LGBTQ+ young people aged 13 to 24 in the Golden State "seriously considered suicide in the past year, including 39% of transgender and nonbinary young people," according to Trevor Project data for 2024.

Eleven percent attempted suicide in the past year, including 14% of transgender and nonbinary young people. Fifty-two percent of LGBTQ+ young people in California reported experiencing symptoms of depression.

“People have lots of disagreements in areas of LGBTQ-plus policy, but this is about young people’s lives. We hope they see the light and these funds will continue,” said Henson of federal officials.

Even prior to Tuesday’s SAMHSA decision, LGBTQ leaders had ramped up their efforts to protect the federal funding for the specialized LGBTQ+ youth counselors. Earlier this month, the federal Department of Health and Human Services confirmed in its Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposal that it intends to end funding for the counselors after September 30. Its intention to do so was leaked to the Washington Post in April, sparking outrage from LGBTQ advocates and a multipronged lobbying effort to save the appropriation.

As the B.A.R.’s online LGBTQ Agenda column had reported in May, more than a hundred members of the House of Representatives signed a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. urging him not to cut the funds. Seven U.S. senators signed on to their own letter in support of the specialized counselors, an effort led by lesbian Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin).

In early June, the Data for Progress released polling results showing there is little public support for ending the specialized LGBTQ youth counselors. A strong majority of voters (69%) – including 56% of Republicans, 70% of Independents, and 80% of Democrats — favored seeing the U.S. government maintain the service, while less than 1 in 4 voters (23%) agreed with the government eliminating them.

“This isn’t about politics. This is about clinically proven care,” argued Henson.

While LGBTQ advocates remain hopeful that congressional leaders will continue the funding in spending bills they are slated to vote on later this summer, the Trevor Project continues to marshal public support for saving the specialized suicide counselors. At the webpage people can sign a petition in support of the funds that will be delivered to Congress and the Trump administration in late July; already more than 16,700 people have done so.

“Until September 30, there is still the ability for the administration to change its mind and for Congress to push back,” Henson noted during an interview June 17 with the B.A.R.

The nonprofit is also asking people to contact their congressional leaders directly and urge them to support reappropriating the nearly $50 million for the service. At the same time, the Trevor Project is raising funds should the federal fiscal support for the counselors come to an end.

“We are forging ahead on multiple fronts to push back against these cuts and to be able to handle a surge in calls,” said Henson.

 
He was referring to the Trevor Project’s own support line it offers at 1-866-488-7386, which can also be accessed by texting START to 678-678. That phone number isn’t going away, no matter the outcome of the federal funding fight, but it could see a surge in call volume should the 988 lifeline no longer provide specialized suicide counselors for LGBTQ young people.

“Our services will be unaffected, and youth can still reach out to us,” noted Trevor Project spokesperson Zach Eisenstein.

Come the start of the 2026 school year, the Trevor phoneline is likely to see an increase of calls from California students. Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom announced last month that he will enact Assembly Bill 727 requiring the LGBTQ nonprofit’s 24 hours per day, 7 days per week hotline to be included on identification cards issued to public school pupils in grades 7 to 12 as well as those enrolled at community colleges and the campuses of the University of California and California State University systems.

Authored by gay Assemblymember Mark González (D-Los Angeles) to specifically address the inflated rates of suicidal ideation in LGBTQ youth, the impacted schools would need to update their ID cards for pupils by July 1 next summer should AB 727 become law. The bill passed out of the Assembly on June 3 by a 59-13 vote and is set to be taken up by the state Senate in the coming weeks.

As the B.A.R. noted in an online article earlier this month, gay Assemblymember Chris Ward (D-San Diego), chair of the Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, noted in voting for AB 727 that “too many queer and transgender youth feel unsafe or unseen at school. This bill ensures crisis support like The Trevor Project is just a call or text away, right on their student ID. This change will save lives and affirm that they matter.”

The Trevor Project worked with González on crafting the bill but had yet to comment about Newsom’s rare move to commit to signing legislation before it had reached his desk until being asked about it this week by the B.A.R. Henson noted that the governor had also spoken out against the proposed federal cut for the LGBTQ specialized counselors in announcing his backing of AB 727.

“While the Trump administration walks away from its responsibility, California will continue to expand access to life-saving resources, because the life of every child – straight, gay, trans – is worth fighting for,” noted Newsom’s official Facebook page in a post sharing Politico’s story regarding his pledge to sign González’s bill.

Addressing the governor’s decision, Henson told the B.A.R., “I think it goes to show the importance for the issue of LGBTQ-plus suicide prevention for youth.” He noted the need to provide services to LGBTQ youth who are four times more likely than their peers to attempt suicide “really cuts across politics and other issues that might pop up.”

Web Extra: For more queer political news, be sure to check http://www.ebar.com Monday mornings for Political Notes, the notebook's online companion. This week's column reported on the weightier impact that civic embrace of LGBTQ symbolism is having this Pride Month.

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If you are experiencing a crisis, call the national crisis line at 988 (LGBTQ youth can press 3 to be connected to an LGBTQ-trained counselor). People can visit The Trevor Project at thetrevorproject.org .

Updated, 6/18/25: This article has been updated.