The Trevor Project, founded in 1998 by the people who created “Trevor,” which won the 1995 Academy Award for short film, provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth under the age of 25. Services include 24-hour phone, text, and chat support, as well as training and research programs.
Changes in the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for LGBTQ Youth
Until last year, people who called the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and pressed option 3, seeking LGBTQ support, had their calls forwarded seamlessly to the Trevor Project. That changed when the Trump administration cut federal funding for 988, saying that the service was for everyone, and a specific population shouldn’t be singled out.
“The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline will no longer silo LGB+ youth services, also known as the ‘Press 3 option,’ to focus on serving all help seekers,” a government press release said (emphasis included).[1]
The administration had no problem with option 1, however, which forwards 988 calls from military service members and their families to targeted crisis centers with special expertise in that area.
In recent weeks, the decision to drop option 3 has been reversed, although it’s not clear whether calls will be directed to the Trevor Project as before or to a different agency. This is concerning since the Trevor Project started the country’s first national LGBTQ youth hotline and has, by nearly all accounts, provided quality services to this highly vulnerable population.
Challenges in Quantifying Suicide Rates Among LGBTQ Youth
It’s difficult to quantify the extent of suicide among LGBTQ youth. Death records don’t include a person’s sexual orientation, and it might not be referenced in a suicide note.
A similar problem exists when it comes to quantifying suicide attempts, although according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, gay and lesbian youths are four times more likely to attempt suicide than heterosexual youths, and their attempts are four to six times more likely to result in an injury that requires medical treatment.[2]
It’s important to note that the higher rate of attempts isn’t because of a person’s sexual orientation but because of negative reaction to it. LGBTQ youths are much more likely to face rejection, isolation, verbal harassment, and physical violence than heterosexual youths. In addition, oftentimes they lack the social supports that are available to straight youth. A survey of 3,365 students found that gay and lesbian youths whose families reject them because of their sexual orientation are more than eight times as likely to attempt suicide as LGBTQ youth whose families are accepting.[3]
As for transgender individuals, statistics are even harder to come by. If they sought medical treatment such as sex reassignment surgery or hormone therapy, some information exists, but this represents only a subgroup of the transgender population. One study in Sweden determined that people who underwent sex reassignment surgery were 19 times more likely to die by suicide than people in the general population.[4] That finding has been used to argue against having the procedure; however, it’s a questionable comparison because trans people, whether they have had the surgery or not, face the same kinds of rejection, discrimination, harassment, and violence as gay people. A different and, in many respects, more relevant study found that 40 percent of transgender people have made a suicide attempt, with 92 percent of them having attempted before age 25.[5]
The belief that the challenges faced by LGBTQ youths are no different than the challenges faced by heterosexual youths is misguided and wrong. Restoring option 3 to 988 doesn’t solve the problem, but it’s a start.
If you or someone you love is contemplating suicide, seek help immediately. For help 24/7, dial 988 for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. To find a therapist near you, visit the Psychology Today Therapy Directory.