On July 17, the option went dead for LGBTQ+ youth to access specialized mental health support from the national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration said a month earlier that it would no longer “silo” services and would instead “focus on serving all help seekers.” That meant the elimination of the “Press 3” option, the dedicated line answered by staff specifically trained to handle LGBTQ+ youth facing mental health issues ranging from anxiety to thoughts of suicide.
Now, states such as California, Colorado, Illinois, and Nevada are scrambling to backfill LGBTQ+ crisis support through training, fees, and other initiatives in response to what advocates say is the Trump administration’s hostile stance toward this group. In his first day back in the White House, President Donald Trump issued an executive order recognizing only two sexes, male and female, and while campaigning, he condemned gender ideology as “toxic poison.” And the administration omitted “T” for transgender and “Q” for queer or questioning in announcing the elimination of the 988 Press 3 option.
“Since the election, we’ve seen a clear increase in young people feeling devalued, erased, uncertain about their future, and seeing resources taken away,” said Becca Nordeen, senior vice president of crisis intervention at The Trevor Project, a national suicide prevention and crisis intervention nonprofit for LGBTQ+ youth.
Nordeen and other advocates for at-risk kid …