988 LGBTQ+ youth crisis line restored after 14-month gap

The ‘Press 3’ option returned Tuesday following sustained pressure from lawmakers and advocates

Specialized crisis services for LGBTQ+ youth on the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline were restored Tuesday, ending a 14-month gap that began when the Trump administration abruptly shut down the program in July 2025.

The “Press 3” option, which connects LGBTQ+ young people with counselors trained to address their specific mental health needs, resumed after a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers and advocacy groups pressured the Department of Health and Human Services to deploy $33.1 million in congressionally appropriated funding.

The restoration comes as provisional data show U.S. suicide deaths rose slightly in 2025 following a two-year decline, with approximately 49,000 deaths nationwide, according to KFF. Firearm suicides reached their highest recorded level, accounting for 57% of all suicide deaths.

LGBTQ+ youth remain disproportionately at risk. The Trevor Project’s 2026 national survey found that 1 in 10 LGBTQ+ young people attempted suicide in the past year, while 36% seriously considered suicide. Among transgender and nonbinary youth, 40% reported serious suicidal ideation.

The Trevor Project expressed appreciation for the return but noted that its role in the federal program has yet to be reinstated.

“When an LGBTQ+ young person reaches out for help in a moment of crisis, they deserve to reach a counselor trained to understand and support them,” Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., said in a statement. “This program should never have been taken away.”

A 14-month gap

The Trump administration discontinued “Press 3” in July 2025, less than three years after the specialized service launched as a pilot program in 2022. The line had connected with nearly 1.6 million young people before it was shut down, according to Krishnamoorthi’s office.

Congress responded by appropriating $33.1 million in fiscal year 2026 to restore the services, but the administration did not immediately deploy the funding.

In May, Krishnamoorthi and other lawmakers sent a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pressing for a timeline, noting that Kennedy had testified that the department was “working on getting [the LGBTQ+ line] up now.”

“These services remain unavailable, leaving a critical gap in care for a population Congress has explicitly directed HHS to support,” the lawmakers wrote.

Lawmakers introduced the bipartisan 988 LGBTQ+ Youth Access Act in September 2025 to permanently codify the specialized services and require HHS to reserve at least 9% of annual 988 funding for LGBTQ+ youth support.

Elevated risk amid rising suicide deaths

The gap in services occurred against a backdrop of mixed national suicide trends. After peaking in 2022 and declining through 2024, suicide deaths increased by nearly 250 in 2025, according to provisional data. Firearm suicides reached an estimated 28,000, the highest level recorded.

For LGBTQ+ youth, the risk remains acute. The Trevor Project’s survey of more than 16,000 young people ages 13 to 24 found that 90% said recent anti-LGBTQ+ laws and political debates caused them stress or anxiety, while 78% said such policies made them feel unsafe.

Transgender and nonbinary youth who wanted hormone therapy but could not access it were nearly twice as likely to report a suicide attempt in the past year — 15%, compared with 8% among those receiving care.

“LGBTQ+ youth do not face this high suicide risk because of who they are, because of their identities,” said Ronita Nath, vice president of research at The Trevor Project. “It is because of how they’re mistreated and stigmatized and denied support.”

Path forward

The restored “Press 3” services will connect callers with counselors specifically trained in LGBTQ+-affirming crisis care. Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project, said the organization will monitor the launch and usage to ensure the services meet clinical standards.

“We are grateful to see that the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s ‘Press 3’ specialized services for LGBTQ+ youth have been restored,” Black said. “Resuming this national resource will be critical in addressing the public health crisis of suicide among LGBTQ+ young people.”

Research has consistently shown an association between affirming environments and lower suicide risk. LGBTQ+ young people in very accepting communities attempted suicide at less than one-third the rate of those in very unaccepting communities, according to The Trevor Project. A JAMA study cited by lawmakers found that the 988 Lifeline was associated with an approximately 11% reduction in youth suicide deaths since its launch.

The 988 Lifeline has received more than 27 million contacts since its launch, with volume increasing 15% year over year.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline website.