More than 100 celebrities, including Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter, signed an open letter urging lawmakers to protect $50 million in federal funds for LGBTQ+ youth suicide prevention programs. The letter highlights the importance of the 988 program, which has facilitated nearly 1.3 million crisis contacts for LGBTQ+ young people since its launch in 2022.
LGBTQ+ youth are over four times more likely to attempt suicide than their peers. The Trevor Project estimates that over 1.8 million LGBTQ+ young people in the U.S. consider suicide annually.
The letter’s authors stress that suicide among LGBTQ+ youth is a public health crisis that requires urgent attention and support.
