Trump administration to shutter specialized LGBTQ+ suicide lifeline option, sparking backlash
CBSJUN 20
Trump Administration Ending LGBTQ+ Youth Suicide Hotline
Above: A worker at a suicide hotline in Oakland, California on April 14, 2020. Image copyright: Paul Chinn/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
The Spin
Right narrative
This decision eliminates wasteful spending on ideological programming that bypasses parental consent. The administration is streamlining services to help all Americans in crisis rather than creating divisive identity-based silos that promote radical gender ideology to children without their parent's knowledge. General crisis counselors can effectively serve everyone.
Left narrative
Cutting specialized LGBTQ+ suicide prevention services is cruel and inexcusable, and it could potentially turn deadly for vulnerable youth, who are more likely to attempt suicide than their peers. This evidence-based, bipartisan program has saved lives for over 1.3 million young people, and removing it during Pride Month shows callous disregard for at-risk communities.