The 988 LGBTQ+ hotline is set to relaunch by the end of this year using $33 million directed by Congress, but the Trevor Project, the group that helped pioneer the service and handled about half its traffic, may be excluded. The potential shut-out is raising concerns about the quality and reach of the restored crisis line for LGBTQ+ youth at a moment when demand for specialized support remains high.
What is changing with the 988 LGBTQ+ hotline
The 988 hotline, often described as a 911 for mental health emergencies, is credited with reducing suicide deaths among teens and young adults. It offers specialized options for groups such as veterans and Spanish speakers, and it previously included a "press 3" option built specifically for LGBTQ+ youth.
That option let callers press 3, text "PRIDE," or use online chat to reach counselors specially trained to work with LGBTQ+ young people. In July, the administration ended the service with about a month's notice, saying the dedicated funding had run out. Congress has since directed officials to allocate $33 million toward LGBTQ+-specific youth interventions to bring it back, setting up the current fight over who will actually run it.
Why the Trevor Project may be left out
Vibrant Emotional Health, the nonprofit that administers 988, has called for applications to manage the returning "press 3" lines. But the eligibility rules are the sticking point, and they cut against the very organization that built much of the service.
- Applications are limited to crisis centers that are current and active members of the 988 network.
- The Trevor Project is not currently active, only because the administration canceled the service it specialized in.
- Six other crisis centers that worked on the program remain active and serve the general population as well as LGBTQ+ callers.
The "press 3" umbrella fielded 1.6 million contacts while it operated, according to federal data, with the Trevor Project handling roughly half. Its CEO, Jaymes Black, called the development a "dangerous step toward degrading the clinical standards" the service was built on, arguing that excluding the most experienced provider would weaken care for the youth who rely on it.
Concerns over how the service returns
Even if the line is restored, how it will operate remains unclear. Advocates worry the administration's policies could shape the relaunch, and Black fears the next version "may exclude transgender and nonbinary youth entirely." The organization still independently runs its own 24-7 crisis line for LGBTQ+ young people, which will continue regardless of the federal outcome.
The stakes are high. A 2024 CDC analysis found that 26% of transgender and gender-questioning students attempted suicide in the past year, compared with 5% of cisgender male and 11% of cisgender female students. Dr. Christine Yu Moutier of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention said it would "not make sense" to keep the Trevor Project ineligible, calling it a long-standing and trusted resource. For more coverage of public health and policy, see our health section, and follow ongoing developments in our news updates. Lawmakers including Sen. Tammy Baldwin are pushing to restore the service without what she called needless limitations.
Frequently asked questions
When will the 988 LGBTQ+ hotline relaunch?
It is set to return by the end of this year, funded by $33 million that Congress directed toward LGBTQ+-specific youth crisis interventions.
Why might the Trevor Project be excluded?
Applications are limited to crisis centers that are current, active members of the 988 network. The Trevor Project is not currently active only because the administration canceled the specialized service it ran.
Can LGBTQ+ youth still reach the Trevor Project?
Yes. The Trevor Project continues to operate its own independent 24-7 crisis line for LGBTQ+ young people, separate from the federal 988 system.
