More than a hundred House Democrats issued a letter Tuesday urging Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to reject the “shortsighted and dangerous plan” to eliminate suicide prevention services for LGBTQ+ youth.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration released its budget for the agency, seeking to slash health care cuts and gut an array of mental health programs, including the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline’s specialized services for LGBTQ+ youth.
Democrats, including Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) signed on to the letter underscoring the importance of protecting this funding.
“Surely you can agree that every American deserves the resources necessary to prevent suicide and self-injury, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” the letter states.
“Consideration of cutting off this life-saving resource to vulnerable youth and young adults goes against best practices in suicide prevention,” the letter continues. “We urge that you scrap this ill-advised plan. Our nation’s children deserve nothing less.”
HHS did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), joined by six Senate Democrats, sent a similar letter on May 7 calling the proposed funding cuts “reckless.”
The 988 lifeline, funded by the Substance and Mental Health Services Administration, is a nationwide suicide and crisis hotline. In 2023, 988 began offering services tailored to LGBTQ+ youth to address rising mental health disparities and saw an average of 2,100 contacts per day.
LGBTQ+ youth are four times more likely than their peers to attempt suicide, and they experience higher rates of depression, anxiety, bullying and harassment. Trans youth in particular experience high rates of suicidality alongside other factors like lack of familial and school support compared to their peers.
Research has overwhelmingly shown that the rise of anti-trans legislation over the last five years has had a negative impact on the mental health of trans youth. In particular, The Trevor Project, a non-profit LGBTQ+ youth suicide prevention organization, reported a 700% increase in contacts to their services in the days after the 2024 presidential election.
The Trevor Project is just one of several mental health providers that make up the LGBTQ+ youth subnetwork, which partners with the 988 Lifeline. In the past, the network has received around $50 million in federal funds annually via SAMSHA to run its services.
Funding is now in jeopardy as the Trump administration has laid out plans to gut a wide array of social safety nets for vulnerable communities, urging states not to use Medicaid funds for gender-affirming care, and threatening to withhold funding from hospitals and clinics that do provide such care to trans youth.
Earlier this month, RFK Jr. released a 409-page review of gender-affirming care for youth that contradicts decades of research on trans health care. The authors of the review, who remain unnamed, promote “psychotherapy” as a “noninvasive alternative” to treatments like hormone therapy and puberty blockers. LGBTQ+ advocates have denounced the review for recommending “conversion therapy” ― a long discredited and dangerous practice built on the belief that being trans or gay is a mental illness that needs to be cured.
The draft budget also includes plans to cut mental health services geared toward children, incarcerated youth, indigenous communities, unhoused people and people living with HIV.
The elimination of these services would go into effect in October, but the changes to HHS would first need to be approved by Congress.
If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org for mental health support. Additionally, you can find local mental health and crisis resources at dontcallthepolice.com. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention.