Federal Cuts Loom, Celebrities Fight to Save Lifesaving LGBTQ+ Youth Hotline
More than 100 prominent figures from the entertainment industry have signed a letter urging federal officials to preserve funding for crisis support services tailored to LGBTQ+ youth, as a key federal program faces elimination.
The Trevor Project, a national nonprofit focused on suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ young people, warned on Monday that its LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services under the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is in jeopardy of losing $25 million in federal support. The group cited recent proposals that would strip all federal funding from the initiative.
Signatories of the open letter include a broad array of celebrities such as Ariana Grande, Pedro Pascal, Daniel Radcliffe, Gabrielle Union-Wade, Dwyane Wade, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dua Lipa, and Troye Sivan, among others. Their appeal emphasizes the potential harm of removing crisis resources for vulnerable LGBTQ+ youth at a time when mental health support remains critical.
“To every LGBTQ+ young person reading this: you are not alone. We see you. We value you. You have the right to feel safe, supported, and loved exactly as you are. You deserve access to life-saving services that honor your humanity. You may be hurting. You may be scared. You may feel like no one hears you, but we do. We will keep showing up and speaking out. We will not stop fighting for you.”
Other high-profile supporters of the letter span the entertainment and cultural sectors, including actors, musicians, writers, athletes, and public figures like Sarah Paulson, Alan Cumming, Sabrina Carpenter, Christina Aguilera, and Josh Hutcherson.
The 988 Lifeline, which officially launched in July 2022, was established under the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act, signed into law in 2020 by then-President Donald Trump. The specialized LGBTQ+ support channel offers trained counselors equipped to respond to the unique challenges faced by LGBTQ+ youth in crisis.
A full copy of the letter and the complete list of signatories have been made publicly available by The Trevor Project, and you can sign the petition here.
