Trump Is Shuttering This LGBTQ-Only Hotline So Americans in Crisis Get Equal Treatment.

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline will remove its LGBTQ+ youth-only “Press 3” call option on July 17, 2025. The change, authorized by the Trump administration, is designed to integrate all callers into the same counseling track to streamline mental health crisis response and ensure equal treatment.

The “Press 3” option was introduced in 2022 as a pilot program under a government contract with the controversial Trevor Project. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) explained that services will continue uninterrupted and that trained counselors will remain available for all crisis types, including suicidal ideation, substance misuse, or emotional distress. The agency clarified that the change will not remove help but ensure it is offered to everyone equally, without resources being dedicated only to one group in particular.

The Department of Health and Human Services’ 2026 proposed budget formally ends funding for LGBT youth-only hotline options. White House Office of Management and Budget spokesman Rachel Cauley defended the move, stating taxpayer dollars should not fund “a chat service where children are encouraged to embrace radical gender ideology by ‘counselors’ without consent or knowledge of their parents.”