Gov. Gavin Newsom this week announced California will keep a critical suicide prevention line open for LGBTQ+ youth, stepping in after the federal government pulled funding.
The state will partner with The Trevor Project to maintain its specialized “Press 3” option on the national 988 crisis line. The service, which fielded over 230,000 crisis contacts this year, was set to shut down this week under spending cuts by the Trump administration.
Local performer and former crisis counselor Justin Renaissance remembers how deeply national politics have affected callers. He was working at the Trevor Project on election night in 2016.
“We had the most suicide calls … inside of one night,” Renaissance said. “It was because of the uncertainty of what would happen and what rights would be taken away. So the crisis line is so important for LGBTQ+ youth in order to maintain their safety.”
In San Diego, about 1 in 6 teens identifies as LGBTQ+. They are more than three times as likely as their straight peers to have seriously considered suicide. While youth centers and clinics provide support, they’re stretched thin. Experts estimate the region will need 18,500 more mental health professionals by 2027 to meet growing demand.
Lawmakers have urged Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to restore federal funding for the program. As of now, the agency has not responded.
