A government spokesman said it will not fund a chat service promoting “radical gender ideology” to children “without consent or knowledge of their parents.”
The Trump administration is terminating the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline’s specialized services for LGBT youth and will instead focus on serving all individuals seeking help through the hotline, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced on June 17.
SAMHSA, an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services, said in a statement that the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline will no longer use its “LGB+” youth services, also known as the “Press 3 option,” beginning July 17.
The agency will instead “focus on serving all help seekers, including those previously served through the Press 3 option,” according to the statement.
SAMHSA said that everyone who contacts the 988 Lifeline will continue to receive access to “skilled, caring, culturally competent” crisis counselors who can help them with suicidal, substance-related, or mental health crises, as well as any other kind of emotional distress.
“Anyone who calls the Lifeline will continue to receive compassion and help,” it said.
The Press 3 option was established as a pilot program in fiscal year 2022 via a government contract with the nonprofit Trevor Project. It describes itself as “the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention nonprofit organization for LGBTQ+ young people” and provides 24/7 year-round information and support.
The specialized service allowed individuals contacting the 988 Lifeline via phone, text, or chat to “Press 3” or “reply PRIDE” to connect with counselors trained specifically to assist LGBT people aged 25 or younger.
The project initially served as the sole provider for the pilot phase of the specialized service, before transitioning to serve as one of seven centers that currently make up the “LGBTQ+ Youth Subnetwork,” according to a statement from the organization.
