Celebrities Urge Biden to Protect LGBTQ+ Crisis Funds

More than 100 celebrities, including Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa, Sabrina Carpenter, and Pedro Pascal, have signed an open letter urging the Biden administration and Congress to preserve $50 million in federal funding for LGBTQ+ youth suicide prevention, specifically the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services. The letter, organized by The Trevor Project, responds to a leaked proposal from the Department of Health and Human Services to eliminate this funding from the 2026 budget. Advocates warn that such cuts could have devastating, life-threatening impacts on LGBTQ+ youth, who are already more than four times as likely to attempt suicide compared to their peers. Since its launch in 2022, the 988 Lifeline has supported nearly 1.3 million crisis contacts from LGBTQ+ youth. The signatories stress the urgent need for bipartisan support for mental health resources. They also urge leaders to ensure that no young person is left without critical crisis support.