You will no longer be able to access specialized services for LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) individuals through the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline after July 16th. The action follows through on a promise made by the Trump Administration last month to “no longer silo LGB+ youth services” in order to make sure everyone gets the help they need. According to The Trevor Project, LGBTQ+ young people are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide as their peers. Because of that, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin says now is the wrong time to pull those specialized services, comparing it to military veterans who also need their own expert services through the Veterans Crisis Line at 988.

Baldwin, who became the first openly gay person to serve in the U.S. Senate, wrote the legislation to pave the way for the 988 Suicide Prevention Hotline in 2020 to replace the longer versions of the number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and the Veterans Crisis Line.