988 LGBTQ+ Relaunch May Shut Out Trevor Project
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- Congress directed $33 million toward LGBTQ+-specific youth interventions and ordered the restoration of the 988 'Press 3' option, with the Trump administration working to relaunch by year's end
- The Trump administration ended the specialized LGBTQ+ option in July with a month's notice, citing expired funding; the service had fielded 1.6 million contacts before cancellation
- The Trevor Project handled roughly half of the program's traffic and helped develop the service, but applications for the relaunch are limited to 'current and active' 988 network members — a category it doesn't fit because the administration canceled its contract
- Six other crisis centers that worked on the LGBTQ+ youth program remain active in the 988 network, though only The Trevor Project's mission was specifically focused on LGBTQ+ young people
- SAMHSA told Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi this month it must assess the relaunch's compliance with a Trump executive order that declares 'gender ideology extremism' a threat to women and recognizes only two sexes
- Trevor Project CEO Jaymes Black warned the next iteration 'may exclude transgender and nonbinary youth entirely'; CDC 2024 data cited in the story shows 26% of transgender and gender-questioning students attempted suicide in the past year, compared with 5% of cisgender males and 11% of cisgender females
Why it matters: The application rules exclude the only organization whose entire mission is LGBTQ+ youth suicide prevention, even as SAMHSA must reconcile the relaunch with a Trump executive order on 'gender ideology extremism.' CDC data shows transgender and gender-questioning students attempt suicide at 26% — five times the rate for cisgender males — making the population potentially most excluded by the relaunch the one facing the highest documented risk.
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