Sen. Tammy Baldwin speaks on the Senate floor on Jan. 6, 2022 | Screenshot of video provided by Baldwin's office Wisconsin Examiner

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin said she’ll “fight tooth and nail” to protect LGBTQ children after the administration of President Donald Trump proposed Wednesday that the national suicide and crisis lifeline would no longer support programs aimed at LGBTQ youth. 

On Wednesday, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) proposed defunding the program within the 988 suicide hotline aimed at LGBTQ children and cutting ties with the Trevor Project, a non-profit LGBTQ mental health organization. 

While the 988 number would still be available, LGBTQ children would no longer be able to request that they be directed to someone specifically trained in the area and with shared experiences. 

A survey conducted last year by the Trevor Project found that 40% of LGBTQ young people considered attempting suicide in the previous year and 12% of LGBTQ young people attempted suicide — both rates are higher than those among non-LGBTQ youth. 

Baldwin wrote the legislation to create the 988 hotline and worked to create an LGBTQ youth pilot program, which was expanded by Congress in 2023. 

Since the hotline’s creation, it has received 1.3 million contacts from LGBTQ people, according to SAMHSA data. 

“I worked hard to stand up a special line for LGBTQ+ youth because we are losing too many of our kids to suicide, and it’s well past time we did something about it,” Baldwin said. “Children facing dark times and even contemplating taking their life often have nowhere else to turn besides this 988 Lifeline, and the Trump Administration is cruelly and needlessly taking that away.” 

The proposal to cut funds for the LGBTQ program comes as the Trump administration has become increasingly hostile to LGBTQ people and as, on Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Tennessee law that prohibits transgender children from receiving gender-affirming treatments. Republicans in Wisconsin and across the country have passed or attempted to pass laws preventing transgender children from participating in sports.

“During Pride Month, a time to celebrate the progress we’ve made, the Trump Administration is taking us a step back and telling LGBTQ+ kids that they don’t matter and don’t deserve help when they are in crisis,” Baldwin said. “This is not the final chapter of this story, and I’ll fight tooth and nail to protect these children. Suicide prevention has been and should continue to be a nonpartisan issue, and I call on my Republican colleagues who have long supported this program to fight for these kids, too. The children and teens who rely on 988 need our help, and it’s our duty to protect this literal lifeline for hundreds of thousands before it’s too late.”