The Trump administration is restarting the 988 LGBTQ+ crisis hotline by the end of 2026 following a $33 million congressional mandate. However, the Trevor Project, which pioneered the original 'press 3' service before its July 2025 shutdown, is excluded from applying because it is no longer an active member of the 988 network. Advocates warn this exclusion and compliance with anti-transgender executive orders could degrade clinical standards for high-risk youth.
988 LGBTQ+ hotline restart
- ▪Applications to manage the restarted 'press 3' lines are limited to crisis centers that are current and active members of the 988 network
- ▪Vibrant Emotional Health, the nonprofit administering the 988 service, has called for applications to manage the return of the 'press 3' lines
- ▪The Trump administration is moving to restart the specialized LGBTQ+ option for youth who contact the 988 crisis intervention hotline by the end of 2026
Trevor Project exclusion concerns
- ▪The Trevor Project is currently ineligible to apply to manage the restarted 988 LGBTQ+ service because it is not an active member of the 988 network
- ▪Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project, warned that the exclusion of the organization indicates a dangerous step toward degrading clinical standards for high-risk groups
- ▪Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin criticized the shutdown of the 'press 3' option and called for the service to be restored without needless limitations
- ▪The Trevor Project continues to independently run its own 24/7 crisis line for LGBTQ+ young people
- ▪The Trevor Project is no longer active in the 988 network because the Trump administration canceled the specialized program it operated in July 2025
Press 3 service history
- ▪The 'press 3' option fielded 1.6 million contacts while in operation, with The Trevor Project handling approximately half of the traffic
- ▪The Trump administration stopped offering the 'press 3' option for LGBTQ+ youth in July 2025 with one month's notice
- ▪Six other crisis centers that worked on the original LGBTQ+ youth program remain active in the 988 network
Congressional funding allocation
- ▪The Trump administration initially stated it ended the 'press 3' service because funding had run out
- ▪The Trump administration is restarting the hotline because Congress directed federal officials to allocate $33 million toward LGBTQ+-specific interventions for youth
Trump anti-transgender policies
- ▪Jaymes Black expressed concern that the next iteration of the 988 LGBTQ+ youth services may exclude transgender and non-binary youth entirely
- ▪A Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration leader wrote to Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi that the agency must assess how to restart the service while complying with a Trump executive order targeting transgender rights
LGBTQ+ youth suicide rates
- ▪The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2024 analysis found that 5% of cisgender male and 11% of cisgender female students attempted suicide in the past year
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