Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) publicly criticized the Trump administration this week for its decision to shut down a suicide hotline option specifically for LGBTQ+ youth, calling the move “wrong” and urging it be reversed immediately.
The change, announced Tuesday by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), would eliminate the “Press 3” option on the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. That feature connects LGBTQ+ callers to specialized counselors and is scheduled to be discontinued on July 17.
“This is wrong,” Lawler wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “LGBTQ+ young people are at higher risk for suicide and more likely to attempt it. We should ensure they have access to the resources they need. The 988 hotline has been a lifesaver. This decision should be reversed.”
Lawler had previously voiced concern over the cut in a May letter to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., calling the decision a “devastating setback” and citing CDC data showing increased suicide risk among LGBTQ+ youth.
In a statement obtained by NOTUS, the Trump administration said the change was part of an effort to provide services to “all help seekers” rather than segmenting support through the “Press 3” option. Critics noted the administration’s statement excluded the “T” in LGBTQ, omitting explicit reference to transgender individuals.
The Trevor Project, which operated the hotline under a federal contract, said it would continue offering crisis support services despite the funding loss.
“Suicide prevention is about people, not politics,” said Trevor Project CEO Jaymes Black. “The removal of a proven, bipartisan service that has helped vulnerable youth in crisis is incomprehensible.”
