No Safe Space Lost: How Blue States Can Save LGBTQ+ Crisis Care

Just Give me the action

If you don’t need to catch up on what’s happened and want to skip right to the part where we ask you to call your Democratic governor or state legislators, click here.

Who is this action for?

This call to action targeting governors is for folks living in states with Democratic Governors: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington State, Wisconsin. Regardless of where you live, you can contact your state legislators by phone and email to urge them to take action.

On July 17, the Trump administration quietly eliminated the only dedicated, federal nationwide suicide prevention lifeline for LGBTQ+ youth. For the past three years, the “Press 3” option on the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline has been a critical resource, connecting over a million young people (under the age of 25) with counselors trained to provide identity-affirming, culturally competent care. It was a promise that when LGBTQ+ youth reached out in their darkest moments, they wouldn’t have to explain or defend who they are before receiving help.

Now, that promise feels brittle. What remains is a single, generalized crisis line—one that no longer guarantees specialized support for LGBTQ+ youth, many of whom are at much higher risk of attempting suicide than their peers. Although independent organizations like The Trevor Project, Trans Lifeline, and the LGBTQ+ National Help Center continue to provide services, they are far less known than 988, underfunded, and lack the universal, federally-backed accessibility of the “Press 3” lifeline. The result is a dangerous void in care at a time when LGBTQ+ communities are facing escalating political attacks, rising hate violence, and record-high mental health crises.

This was a part of a deliberate effort by the Trump administration to strip away resources, visibility, and dignity from LGBTQ+ people—starting with the most vulnerable, our youth. And unless states step in, millions of LGBTQ+ individuals will be left without a lifeline when they need it most.

Here’s what the elimination of the lifeline represents and why it’s dangerous
A direct assault on LGBTQ+ health and safety. Nearly 40% of LGBTQ+ youth seriously think about suicide every year, and that number climbs to about half for transgender and nonbinary youth. These rates are, in part, the direct result of systemic discr
The erasure of specialized, culturally competent care forces LGBTQ+ individuals to navigate generalized systems that often fail to meet their needs. The Press 3 option was staffed by people trained to respond to crises rooted in sexuality and gender
The silencing of a rapidly growing lifeline. In less than three years, almost 1.6 million LGBTQ+ people reached out through Press 3, with call volumes hitting record highs in 2024, especially around the election when fear and anxiety spiked. Call vol
A political message of abandonment. By stripping away a trusted service, the federal government is signaling that LGBTQ+ lives are negotiable and that decades of hard-won progress in affirming care can be rolled back overnight.
A nationwide chilling effect, warning LGBTQ+ people that the support systems they’ve fought for can be taken away at any time.

Four Things State Officials Can Do

Establish Statewide and/or Interstate LGBTQ+ Lifelines

Create a statewide and/or interstate-level “Press 3 equivalent” that guarantees specialized, 24/7 crisis counseling for LGBTQ+ individuals. Staff it with trained, identity-affirming counselors who can provide the care the federal government has taken away.

Where smaller states may lack the resources to build this infrastructure alone, interstate or multi-state compacts can pool funding and staffing to ensure every LGBTQ+ resident — regardless of where they live — has reliable access to affirming crisis support. By working together, states can expand reach, reduce wait times, and model what inclusive, community-centered crisis care should look like.

Partner with Community Organizations

Build on the expertise of groups like The Trevor Project, Trans Lifeline, and local LGBTQ+ centers to staff and shape culturally competent and community-trusted services.

Protect The Services

Back the hotline with protective legislation so it can’t be easily undone.

Train Existing Crisis Counselors

Ensure existing crisis counselors have the resources and background knowledge to provide affirming support to LGBTQ+ youth callers.  

Here are all of the states already working to close the gap in LGBTQ+ crisis support through training and other initiatives in response to the administration’s cuts:

In California, after the shutdown, the state’s governor immediately responded with a $700,000 contract to train crisis counselors who answer the general 988 line, ensuring they can provide informed and affirming support to LGBTQ+ youth.
In Illinois, Governor J.B. Pritzker launched IL Pride Connect, a first-of-its-kind statewide legal hotline offering free, affirming legal help. Funded by $350,000 in combined state and philanthropic funding, the service provides callers with legal su
In Colorado, the Colorado Behavioral Health Administration partners with Solari Crisis & Human Services to answer 988 calls. Training for call-takers on the general line already includes equipping them to support LGBTQ+ youth in crisis, helping to mi
In Nevada, the state is working to ensure that all 988 crisis counselors are trained to work with LGBTQ+ callers.
In North Carolina, the state has invested in partnerships with community organizations to strengthen mental health support for marginalized groups, including LGBTQ+ populations, through its 988 call center and related programs.
In Washington State, the State Department of Health (DOH) is working to ensure the state’s 988 crisis counselors are trained to support LGBTQ+ youth and young adults.

Who is this action for?

This call to action targeting governors is for folks living in states with Democratic Governors: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington State, Wisconsin.

Regardless of where you live, you can contact your state legislators by phone and email to urge them to take action.

Take Action Now to Mobilize Your Governor and State Legislature

Trump’s elimination of the LGBTQ+ youth lifeline left a dangerous gap, and blue states must step in to close it. If you live in a state with a Democratic governor or legislature, your pressure matters. These leaders already have the tools, budgets, and political mandate to act. What they need is the push. 

Your calls and emails can make that happen. Use the call and email pages linked below to urge your governor and legislators to create and fund an inclusive, state-level lifeline. Personalize your message where you can — local stories and authentic experiences are the most powerful way to make clear that our communities cannot wait.

take action now

Step One: Call your governor and demand that they take action now to fill the dangerous LGBTQ+ crisis support gap by funding and protecting state-level services. Then, follow up with an email.

Step Two: Call your state legislators and ask them to close the gap in crisis car by creating and funding an inclusive, statewide service. Then, follow up with an email.

Trevor Project donation graphic urging support for LGBTQ+ crisis intervention and suicide prevention after federal funding cuts.