USA’s 988 No Longer Offers LGBTQ+ Youth Support

By Korey Miracle

July 18, 2025

On July 17, 2025, the Trump administration officially ended the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services program. This decision eliminates the critical “Press 3” option and the ability to text “PRIDE” to 988, both of which had previously connected LGBTQ+ youth under 25 with counselors specifically trained to support them (Teen Vogue, 2025).

This change means that LGBTQ+ youth in crisis who contact 988 will no longer have the option to speak with someone who truly understands their unique challenges, fears, and experiences.

Why This Matters to Us

At Miracle Workers Alliance, we believe mental health support should be affirming, inclusive, and tailored, especially for young people in vulnerable communities. The end of the 988 LGBTQ+ program is more than just a bureaucratic change; it’s a devastating loss of a lifeline for youth who often feel they have nowhere else to turn.

The program was developed in partnership with The Trevor Project in 2022 and has served well over 1.3 million contacts. In 2024 alone, more than 231,000 LGBTQ+ youth used this specialized lifeline. Since its inception, it has served more than 1.3 million contacts. In 2024 alone, over 231,000 LGBTQ+ youth reached out through the specialized 988 service (The Trevor Project, 2025).

These are not just numbers. These are siblings, classmates, and community members—many of whom face some of the highest suicide risks in the country. Nearly 40% of LGBTQ+ youth have seriously considered suicide in the past year, and transgender youth experience even greater risk (Teen Vogue, 2025).

The Official Reason, and the Real Impact

According to the administration and SAMHSA (the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration), the decision was based on a desire to stop “siloing” services and instead “serve all help seekers equally.” The agency stated that the original federal funding for the specialized service, approximately $33 million, had expired (Axios, 2025).

However, critics point out that the administration’s public messaging intentionally omitted the “T” in LGBTQ+, and failed to acknowledge that identity-specific care can be essential in moments of crisis (The Trevor Project, 2025).

Without counselors trained in LGBTQ+ issues, young callers may now be forced to “come out” or explain themselves to strangers in their darkest moments before receiving help (Teen Vogue, 2025).

As mental health advocates, we believe that is deeply harmful.

What You Can Do Now

While 988 no longer offers LGBTQ+ youth-specific options, you are not alone, and support is still out there. At Miracle Workers Alliance, we are committed to ensuring our community has access to affirming, identity-conscious mental health support, even if the federal government is no longer prioritizing it.

Alternative Crisis Resources:

  • The Trevor Project:
  • Trans Lifeline (peer support run by and for trans people):
    • 📞 877-565-8860
  • LGBT National Help Center:

If you are in crisis or just need someone to talk to, please reach out. You are loved. You are seen. You matter 💚

How We Move Forward, Together

This decision is not the end, it is a call to action. At Miracle Workers Alliance, we will continue to:

  • Advocate for equitable mental health resources
  • Raise awareness about affirming services
  • Support LGBTQ+ youth through our own peer spaces and mental health programs
  • We intend to partner with trusted organizations like The Trevor Project and Trans Lifeline to promote access to inclusive care

We also strongly support efforts like those happening in California, where the state is investing in LGBTQ+ cultural competency training for all 988 hotline workers (Them, 2025).

Our Future Vision: A Crisis Line of Our Own

At Miracle Workers Alliance, we dream of launching a dedicated LGBTQ+ and youth-inclusive crisis line, one rooted in community, compassion, and cultural understanding.

But we know we must be strategic and sustainable. Building a hotline means securing:

  • Trained staff and volunteers
  • Secure/proper infrastructure
  • Long-term funding
  • Legal and clinical compliance

Right now, we do not yet have the funding to make this a reality. And in a political climate where many in power ignore or undercut nonprofits unless it benefits their agenda, access to support is harder than ever (Them, 2025).

But we won’t stop.

With your help, as donors, volunteers, and advocates, we believe we can build a future where no one has to face a mental health crisis alone.

Reach Out. Stand With Us.

💚 You are seen. You are loved. You matter.

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