(Image Credit: IMAGN) Pride flags wave in front of the Alabama Statehouse during the March on the State House for LGBTQ+ Rights, held in Montgomery, Ala., on Wednesday February 5, 2025.
San Diego, California – San Diego mental health advocates and LGBTQ+ leaders are sounding the alarm after the Trump administration confirmed it will shut down a federal suicide prevention hotline specifically designed for LGBTQ+ callers. The closure of the specialized 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline service, announced in June, will take effect on July 17.
The hotline, launched in 2022 as part of a broader bipartisan initiative, quickly became a critical resource for LGBTQ+ youth nationwide. It served more than 1.3 million people in just two years, according to The Trevor Project, one of the main nonprofit contractors behind the effort.
In San Diego, where one in six high school students identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer—and where 2.3% identify as transgender—the decision is landing with particular urgency.
The nonprofit It’s Up To Us, which operates in San Diego County and partners with local mental health providers, has seen demand for services grow in recent years. Mental health professionals worry the hotline’s removal will push already overburdened local systems closer to the edge.
Jess Foster, a licensed therapist based in San Diego who primarily works with transgender teens, said the specialized hotline offered something general crisis lines often can’t: immediate, identity-affirming care from trained counselors. “This is not just wrong and immoral,” Foster said. “It’s going to create lasting harm in communities like ours.”
While the general 988 number will remain operational, advocates say the removal of an LGBTQ+-specific option erases a sense of safety and belonging for callers in crisis. California had one of the highest engagement rates with the 988 system in the country last year, with 25.5 contacts per 1,000 people—higher than the national average of 23.7, according to JAMA Network Open.
As Pride weekend approaches in San Diego, the timing of the shutdown has sparked additional frustration. “We should be celebrating our resilience and progress,” Hatfield said. “Instead, we’re preparing to fill yet another gap in care.”
In response to the federal rollback, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a $4.7 billion investment in youth mental health in June, including support for LGBTQ+ crisis services. The Trevor Project will continue to operate its 24/7 free hotline, staffed by more than 100 trained counselors.
Still, many in San Diego worry the damage is already underway. The loss of a dedicated federal lifeline, they say, sends a chilling message to LGBTQ+ youth at a time when they need compassion, not abandonment.
