A bipartisan duo of senators introduced a bill to dedicate consistent funding and resources to the 988 suicide prevention hotline so it can continue offering specialized counseling for LGBTQ youth and young adults. U.S. Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced the measure on September 17, aiming to restore services that were shut down in July after the Trump administration cut health-related spending.
Called the “988 LGBTQ+ Youth Access Act,” the bill would amend the Public Health Service Act to guarantee a dedicated funding stream for the hotline’s LGBTQ services, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. It directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to reserve 9% of appropriated funds to keep the specialized counseling line operating.
In the U.S. House, companion legislation was introduced by Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), Sharice Davids (D-Kan.), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.).
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 45% of high school students who seriously considered suicide in 2021 identified as LGBTQ. Since the 988 Suicide Prevention and Crisis Lifeline launched, more than 1.5 million LGBTQ youth have used it, with increasing numbers pressing “3” to reach counselors trained to provide culturally competent support.
The bill notes that LGBTQ youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual and cisgender peers, and may need counselors trained to address challenges unique to their experiences.
“We are in the middle of a mental health crisis, and the 988 lifeline saves lives, plain and simple,” Baldwin said in a statement. She authored the original legislation creating the 988 Lifeline and pushed for a pilot program to provide services for LGBTQ youth.
“There is absolutely no good reason that Donald Trump took away this specialized help for our LGBTQ youth,” Baldwin continued. “Mental health does not see partisan lines or geography.”
The bill has drawn support from suicide prevention organizations, including The Trevor Project, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness, as well as LGBTQ advocacy groups such as GLSEN and the Human Rights Campaign.
A 2024 report from The Trevor Project, an LGBTQ suicide prevention and crisis intervention group, found that 39% of LGBTQ youth seriously contemplated suicide in the past year. That included 46% of transgender and nonbinary individuals, with 12% attempting suicide. The report also noted that LGBTQ youth of color reported higher rates of suicidal ideation than their white peers.
It emphasized that LGBTQ people are not inherently at higher risk because of their identity, but because of discrimination, mistreatment, and societal stigma. The report also found that LGBTQ youth in “very accepting” communities attempted suicide at less than half the rate of those in unaccepting communities.
“LGBTQ+ youth are facing a mental health crisis at a scale we can’t ignore,” GLSEN Executive Director Melanie Willingham-Jaggers said in praising the legislation. “By codifying ‘Option 3’ into law, this bill sends a clear message: our LGBTQ+ youth matter, and they deserve support, safety, and someone to turn to in their darkest moments.”
Montero Hill, better known as Lil Nas X, has been charged with four felonies after allegedly injuring police officers during a bizarre incident in Los Angeles.
Last week, the 26-year-old rapper was filmed wandering the streets in his underwear with a traffic cone on his head, talking to himself as bystanders captured videos that quickly spread online.
The Grammy-winning artist, famed for his record-shattering 2018 hit "Old Town Road," had recently wiped his Instagram feed while teasing his next album, "Dreamboy."
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
You must be logged in to post a comment.