By
Eileen Weber
June 30th, 2025
Hannah Wesolowski, chief advocacy officer with NAMI
In a leaked budget draft this spring, the Trump administration indicated it was considering cuts to 988 specialized hotline services for LGBTQ+ youth
Much like 911 for emergency help, 988 was designed to be a quicker dial and has been in effect for approximately three years.
That possibility became a reality on June 18, when the administration announced it had instructed the national suicide hotline to stop offering specialized services to LGBTQ callers effective July 17.
A statement from the Department of Health and Human Services said the LGBTQ+ section had run out of Congressionally-directed funding. Continuing to fund that component would jeopardize the entire hotline, according to the DHHS.
In an NPR podcast on April 28, Hannah Wesolow...
