Trevor Project CEO: Removing LGBTQ Suicide Hotline ‘Absolutely’ Is ‘a Fatal Decision’

JANSING The Trump Administration ░░░░░░░░ shutting down an LGBTQ ░░░░░░░░ prevention hotline as statistics ░░░░░░░░ that LGBTQ young people ░░░░░░░░ four times more likely ░░░░░░░░ contemplate suicide with trans ░░░░░░░░ at highest risk In ░░░░░░░░ statement announcing the decision ░░░░░░░░ Substance Abuse and Mental ░░░░░░░░ Services Administration notably removed ░░░░░░░░ T which represents the ░░░░░░░░ community The 988 Suicide ░░░░░░░░ Lifeline will no longer ░░░░░░░░ LGB plus youth services ░░░░░░░░ known as the Press ░░░░░░░░ option to focus on ░░░░░░░░ all help seekers including ░░░░░░░░ previously served through the ░░░░░░░░ 3 option The CEO ░░░░░░░░ the Trevor Project the ░░░░░░░░ contracted to create and ░░░░░░░░ run the hotline calls ░░░░░░░░ a devastating decision They ░░░░░░░░ me now Jaymes Black ░░░░░░░░ We should tell people ░░░░░░░░ Trump signed the legislation ░░░░░░░░ created this specialized service ░░░░░░░░ the first place So ░░░░░░░░ s changed BLACK That ░░░░░░░░ correct This legislation and ░░░░░░░░ specialized services was signed ░░░░░░░░ October 2020 as part ░░░░░░░░ the National Suicide Hotline ░░░░░░░░ Act And as part ░░░░░░░░ that act HHS they ░░░░░░░░ directed to develop specialized ░░░░░░░░ for high risk communities ░░░░░░░░ Spanish speakers and LGBTQ ░░░░░░░░ youth And this was ░░░░░░░░ evidence based data backed ░░░░░░░░ and it had strong ░░░░░░░░ support and everyone was ░░░░░░░░ proud of it And ░░░░░░░░ the past five years ░░░░░░░░ has approved these funds ░░░░░░░░ and over again without ░░░░░░░░ What s changed What ░░░░░░░░ changed is that folks ░░░░░░░░ not understand the statistics ░░░░░░░░ you just read off ░░░░░░░░ have forgotten let s ░░░░░░░░ to that JANSING Yeah ░░░░░░░░ want to talk about ░░░░░░░░ because they say this ░░░░░░░░ what the Trump Administration ░░░░░░░░ Look they can still ░░░░░░░░ the generalized hotline What ░░░░░░░░ you say BLACK I ░░░░░░░░ no So for example ░░░░░░░░ a veteran calls their ░░░░░░░░ hotline they need to ░░░░░░░░ to someone who understands ░░░░░░░░ stress They need to ░░░░░░░░ PTSD BLACK PTSD family ░░░░░░░░ combat stress When an ░░░░░░░░ plus youth calls the ░░░░░░░░ they need someone who ░░░░░░░░ LGBTQ plus youth stress ░░░░░░░░ trauma such as family ░░░░░░░░ homelessness That is exactly ░░░░░░░░ we had these specified ░░░░░░░░ with tailored interventions created ░░░░░░░░ tailored interventions actually increase ░░░░░░░░ survival rate And this ░░░░░░░░ not about a special ░░░░░░░░ or special treatment This ░░░░░░░░ about effective treatment JANSING ░░░░░░░░ when you talk about ░░░░░░░░ specialized needs that they ░░░░░░░░ the treatment that you ░░░░░░░░ when you re an ░░░░░░░░ teen what do you ░░░░░░░░ the message is when ░░░░░░░░ take the T out ░░░░░░░░ something that is generally ░░░░░░░░ accepted understood And what ░░░░░░░░ you hearing what kinds ░░░░░░░░ feedback are you getting ░░░░░░░░ all of this BLACK ░░░░░░░░ Well let s just ░░░░░░░░ clear Removing a letter ░░░░░░░░ not remove a community ░░░░░░░░ And what it does ░░░░░░░░ our youth is that ░░░░░░░░ lives do not matter ░░░░░░░░ identities do not matter ░░░░░░░░ cannot politicize their identities ░░░░░░░░ fact we need to ░░░░░░░░ depoliticize the identities of ░░░░░░░░ plus youth And what ░░░░░░░░ re hearing the feeling ░░░░░░░░ we re hearing the ░░░░░░░░ is fear Fear and ░░░░░░░░ Parents are outraged Supportive ░░░░░░░░ are outraged But our ░░░░░░░░ they are terrified about ░░░░░░░░ this means JANSING Will ░░░░░░░░ die do you think ░░░░░░░░ a result BLACK Absolutely ░░░░░░░░ don t I do ░░░░░░░░ want to sugarcoat this ░░░░░░░░ is a fatal decision ░░░░░░░░ it s going to ░░░░░░░░ a significant care gap ░░░░░░░░ the youth who depend ░░░░░░░░ these services year in ░░░░░░░░ year out JANSING Jaymes ░░░░░░░░ thank you for being ░░░░░░░░ BLACK Thank you for ░░░░░░░░ me.”