Letter: 988 Suicide Hotline Defunding

To the Editor

The Trump administration plans to defund the 988 Suicide Hotline sub-group lifeline services that provides crisis support to LGBTQ+ youth by July 17.
It will not defund the 988 subgroup crisis support for Veterans, Spanish speaking or Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

Nearly 40% of LGBTQ+ young people have reported seriously considering attempting suicide in the past year.  In the first two months of 2025, nearly 100,000 youth have chosen the #3 option directing them to LGBTQ+ specialized crisis counselors.

The mental, emotional and discriminatory challenges our LGBTQ+ youth face require health care counselors with whom they can relate, and who have specialized skills and knowledge regarding their needs. These youth who call 988 will now be directed to generalized counselors who may not be adequately equipped to effectively help our youth who are so much in crisis that they are considering suicide.

The 988 Suicide Hotline and its sub-group lifeline services for Veterans, Spanish Speaking, Deaf and Hard of Hearing was enacted with bi-partisan support. Why is Trump and his political followers, our representatives, tearing this lifesaving tool from our youth?

In this June “Pride” month, when right here in Newaygo County we celebrated the rights and joys of our LGBTQ+ community members, who work, play and pay taxes like everyone else, it is cruel and despicable that the Trump Administration is targeting our young people in crisis, essentially telling them “you do not matter to us - your life does not matter to us.”

No matter what your political or religious views are, we must protect and support our youth in crisis who are facing suicide. We must contact our Representatives to tell them we oppose this hideous, targeted, and discriminatory defunding that will cause untold harm for so many of our youth.

John Moolenaar. Caledonia Office: 616-528-7100; Gary Peters, Grand Rapids Office: (616) 233-9150; Elissa Slotkin, Lansing Office: 517-203-1760.

Thank you, 
Sally Wagoner

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