In an open letter shared today by nonprofit organization The Trevor Project, Sabrina Carpenter, Pedro Pascal and Ariana Grande are among the 100-plus celebrities who are calling for the protection of $50 million in federal funding for LGBTQ youth suicide prevention programs.
The letter follows an April news report detailing a leaked budget draft of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that reportedly calls for the elimination of all funding for LGBT youth suicide prevention services through 988, a federal emergency crisis support program for LGBTQ+ youth considering suicide.
"Defunding this support is not just a policy decision — it's a matter of life and death," Trevor Project organizers shared in an Instagram post. "We call on Congress and the administration to restore and protect this funding in the 2026 federal budget. Lives depend on it." See the post below.
Since the program's launch in 2022, 988 has connected "nearly 1.3 million crisis contacts with life-saving, affirming care to LGBTQ+ young people during their most vulnerable moments." LGBTQ+ youth suicide is a public health crisis, and the Trevor Project estimates that more than "1.8 million LGBTQ+ young people in the United States seriously consider suicide each year — and at least one attempts suicide every 45 seconds."
"We are heartbroken by the proposal to eliminate federal funding for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline's LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services — a move that will have devastating, life-threatening consequences for young people across the country," the letter begins. "As artists, creators, and public figures, our platforms come with responsibility. And today, that responsibility is clear: we must speak out to protect the mental health and lives of LGBTQ+ youth. We will not stay silent."
Among the celebrities who have signed the letter are Aly & AJ, Benito Skinner, Blondshell, Daniel Radcliffe, Dua Lipa, Dylan Mulvaney, Ethel Cain, Josh Hutcherson, Margaret Cho, MARINA, Orville Peck, Sarah Paulson, Troye Sivan and more.
"This is about people, not politics," the letter further continued. "At a time of deep division, let this be something we as people can all agree on: no young person should be left without help in their darkest moment. Stripping away this lifeline leaves LGBTQ+ youth with the message that their lives are not worth saving. We refuse to accept that message. We call on the administration and Congress to do the right thing: restore and protect funding for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline's LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget."
The end of the letter reads:
To every LGBTQ+ young person reading this: you are not alone. We see you. We value you. You have the right to feel safe, supported, and loved exactly as you are. You deserve access to life-saving services that honour your humanity. You may be hurting. You may be scared. You may feel like no one hears you — but we do. We will keep showing up and speaking out. We will not stop fighting for you.
We rise together — loudly and determined — for hope, for dignity, and for every LGBTQ+ young person to know that their lives are worthy and that there will always be someone on the other end of the line. You can join us by signing The Trevor Project's petition at TRVR.org/Save988.
Thanking those who signed the letter, Trevor Project CEO Jaymes Black shared in a statement, "I am deeply grateful to the influential voices in entertainment who are speaking out and reminding the public that suicide prevention is about people — not politics." He continued, "It is clinical best practice for highly trained counsellors to provide competent care to high-risk communities, including LGBTQ+ youth and veterans. LGBTQ+ young people disproportionately experience rejection, stigma, and discrimination, and are navigating a world that too often tells them they don't belong."