Pedro Pascal, Dua Lipa, Daniel Radcliffe Join Celebrities Urging Trump to Save LGBTQ Suicide Hotline Funding

More than 100 celebrities, including Pedro Pascal, Dua Lipa, and Daniel Radcliffe, are publicly urging President Donald Trump’s administration to preserve funding for a vital suicide prevention service aimed at LGBTQ youth. The call to action follows reports that the administration may eliminate federal support for LGBTQ-specific services provided through the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

An internal budget proposal, first reported by The Washington Post, suggests cutting funding for the specialized LGBTQ+ youth services that form part of the 988 helpline. These services are managed in large part by The Trevor Project, a leading nonprofit that has responded to nearly half of the LGBTQ-related calls, texts, and chats received by 988 since its launch in 2022.

In response, The Trevor Project published an open letter on Monday, warning that the proposed cuts could have “devastating, life-threatening consequences” for LGBTQ youth across the country.

“As artists, creators, and public figures, our platforms come with responsibility,” the letter reads. “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.”

Actors Pedro Pascal, Daniel Radcliffe, Sarah Paulson, and Margaret Cho are among the Hollywood stars who signed the letter. Musicians Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, Diplo, and Dua Lipa added their names as well. Other notable signatories include influencer Dylan Mulvaney, celebrity chef Amanda Freitag, and Carl Nassib, the former NFL player who made history as the first openly gay man to play in the league.

“This is about people, not politics,” the letter continues. “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.”

Since its launch, the LGBTQ+ youth services offered through 988 have been a lifeline to nearly 1.3 million people, according to data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). In February 2025 alone, the service received an average of 2,100 crisis contacts per day.

The open letter implores the Trump administration and Congress to ensure that funding for this segment of the hotline is included in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget.

“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,” the letter states.

Congress initially approved funding for the LGBTQ-specific portion of the 988 hotline on a bipartisan basis. The proposed budget cuts would need congressional approval and, if passed, would not go into effect until October.

Notably, the original 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline was signed into law by Trump himself in October 2020 under the bipartisan National Suicide Hotline Designation Act. The specialized LGBTQ youth services were expanded under the Biden administration in 2022 with increased congressional support.

Lawmakers from both parties are pushing back against the potential rollback. Over 100 House Democrats and two Republican members of Congress have sent letters to the Trump administration, urging the White House to maintain funding. They warn that ending these services could have “lethal consequences.”

The White House has not yet responded to requests for comment.

Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project, expressed gratitude for the support from the entertainment industry. “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,” Black said in a statement on Monday.

For LGBTQ youth, especially those facing mental health challenges in unsupportive environments, these services offer a critical source of hope and connection. As celebrities, lawmakers, and advocates unite to defend this resource, they are sending a powerful message: these lives matter—and they are not alone.