HHS Plans to Cut the National Suicide Hotline's Program for LGBTQ Youth

[Nevilledog]

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/04/national-suicide-hotline-lgbtq-youth-cuts-rfk-jr-hhs/

The federal government plans to eliminate services for LGBTQ youth who call 988, the national suicide and crisis hotline, according to a Health and Human Services budget draft leaked last week. The budget, first reported by the Washington Post, would go into effect in October if approved by Congress.

Since the hotline’s launch in 2022, callers have been able to speak with counselors trained to work with specific at-risk populations, including LGBTQ youth, who are four times more likely to attempt suicide than their peers.

The service for LGBTQ youth has received 1.3 million calls, texts, or chats since 2022. In February, the program received an average of 2,100 contacts per day.

“Here we are cutting off the nation’s lifeline to those in crisis,” says Paolo del Vecchio, former director of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s Office of Recovery. “Due to the discriminatory practices of the Trump administration, they’re pulling that life preserver away from thousands and thousands of people.”

*snip*

[Initech]

1. RFK Jr is a damn terrorist.

[Akakoji]

4. Absolutely

He needs to be stopped.

[Irish_Dem]

2. LGPT adolescents are a very vulnerable group.

This group has a high suicide rate, 2 times higher than teen general population.

[choie]

3. A cruel monster.

[HereForTheParty]

5. Some of them would rather see LGBTQ kids die

Of that I have no doubt.