The Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) proposed budget for 2026 seeks to eliminate government funding for specialized suicide hotline services catering to LGBTQ youth and young adults. While the budget maintains $520 million for the 988 suicide prevention line, it removes dedicated funding for LGBTQ-specific counseling, which has been crucial given that LGBTQ youth are significantly more likely to contemplate and attempt suicide than their peers. A spokesperson from HHS redirected inquiries to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which stated that the budget aims to prevent taxpayer money from supporting what they term “radical gender ideology,” a politically charged phrase used to criticize transgender rights and acceptance.
The 988 line was established by legislation under the Trump administration in 2020, mandating that LGBTQ individuals have access to specially trained staff. However, under the proposed adjustments, LGBTQ youth under 25 will no longer have dedicated counselors who understand their unique challenges. The OMB claimed that while funding for specialized services has been reallocated, only contracts with what they disparagingly termed “radical grooming contractors” would be terminated.
Advocacy groups like The Trevor Project, which services LGBTQ youth, expressed deep concern over this proposed policy shift, arguing it undermines life-saving resources and fails to address the ongoing suicide crisis among LGBTQ youth. They urged lawmakers to reconsider the cuts, emphasizing that effective crisis intervention should focus on risk, not identity.
This budget proposal continues a trend from the past administration to roll back protections for LGBTQ individuals, particularly targeting transgender rights, and aims to erase transgender visibility from federal discourse.
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