Trump Administration Defunds Radical LGBTQ Hotline Connecting Children to Gender Activists – The American Spectator | USA News and PoliticsThe American Spectator

The Trump administration has announced that it will defund a suicide and crisis hotline for queer-identifying youth. A statement released by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration on Tuesday confirmed rumors that it will no longer include the “Press 3” option, a crisis line singling out queer-identifying youth, as a part of the national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

History of “Press 3”

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline was created in 2005 using funds from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. These funds were given to the nonprofit mental health and emotional support organization Vibrant Emotional Health, which has been the administrator of the Lifeline ever since. 

In 2022, the Biden administration announced the creation of and funding for a new sub-hotline, the “Press 3” option. This was the result of a partnership with the Trevor Project, a nonprofit organization that counsels queer-identifying youth by affirming their identities. 

Callers to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline could access the sub-hotline by pressing 3 or responding “PRIDE.” 

Sub-hotlines within the Lifeline have precedent. In 2006, a subnetwork for Spanish speakers was created. Beginning in 2007, veterans have been able to press 1 for specialized assistance. 

“Press 3” was created to serve a community much smaller than Spanish speakers and statistically far less vulnerable or unique in their needs than veterans. Its creation and operation were justified by the false assumption that LGBTQ-identifying youth were more susceptible to self-harm and suicide than others because of social stigma. 

The Trevor Project

Last year, the Trevor Project welcomed Jaymes Black, who uses the pronouns they, she, and he, as its new CEO. As a queer-identifying African American, Black believes that the more intersectional boxes an individual checks off, the more difficult it is for them to thrive in America. 

“[Racial minorities] experience negative mental health outcomes due to multiple systemic and structural factors including lack of access to culturally competent mental health services,” said Black. She asserted that it is vital to recognize the specialized needs of individuals who “hold multiple marginalized identities.”

Black makes it clear that the Trevor Project treats individuals who identify with the LGBTQ movement with more nuanced care than others. Thus, counseling and resources provided by the Trevor Project are driven by progressive gender ideology. From handbooks detailing the dangers of the gender binary to sexually explicit chat rooms, the Trevor Project provides minors with materials geared towards affirmation instead of healing.  

While the Trevor Project pioneered “Press 3,” six more organizations have been welcomed aboard by Vibrant, including CommUnity, EMPACT, Solari, HopeLink, Centerstone, and Volunteers of America Western Washington (VOAWW). 

Institutional Issues

Through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the federal government has funded the ideologically driven endeavors of organizations like the Trevor Project for years. Under Joe Biden’s leadership, serious mental conditions like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder were neglected in order to make room for radical pet projects.

The Daily Caller reported data showing that hundreds of millions of dollars were granted by the federal government to projects that included “transgenderism” as a keyword. 

A member of leadership at a state hotline affiliated with the 988 Lifeline explained this issue to the Department of Government Efficiency. He explained that people who are in serious need of mental assistance are ignored because the department “now prioritizes large-scale contracts and political agendas over the simple act of helping people.” 

There is perhaps no better example of a large-scale contract than “Press 3.” 

Defunding “Press 3”

In its official statement confirming that “Press 3” will no longer operate within the 988 hotline, the Trump Administration reported the startling amount of federal dollars being spent on the program: “Federal funding in FY24 for the Press 3 services increased to $33 million. As of June 2025, more than $33 million in funds have been spent to support the subnetworks, fully expending the monies allocated for 988 Lifeline LGB+ subnetwork services.”

President Trump has made his position on gender ideology clear. In January, the president made it the official policy of the United States that there are only two genders, male and female.  

In its statement announcing the rescinded funds for “Press 3”, the administration decided to use “LGB+” instead of “LGBTQIA+”, stopping the acronym before the term “transgender”.   

The Trump administration made it clear that all individuals who call the 988 Lifeline will continue to receive care despite their plan to revoke the “Press 3” hotline. 

“Anyone who calls the Lifeline will continue to receive compassion and help,” the statement clarified.

Outrage Ensues

The reassurance given by the Trump administration was of no consolation to the Trevor Project.

Black herself reacted to the decision in an Instagram post. “[LGBTQ+ youth]… need someone who knows that their identity is not a phase to be counseled away.”

Black’s reaction only reaffirms what the Trump administration and concerned parents already knew: the Trevor Project and other supporting organizations would rather affirm youth’s mental challenges than fix them.

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