Darren Criss, Ariana Grande, & More Urge Congress to Protect LGBTQ+ Youth

Broadway alums Ariana Grande, Darren Criss, Alan Cumming, Nathan Lane, Daniel Radcliffe, Sarah Paulson, Sabrina Carpenter, and Orville Peck are among more than 100 signers of an open letter called to protect federal funding for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services. The federal program, which aims to provide emergency crisis support to LGBTQ+ youth considering suicide, is planed to be cut by the Trump administration. 

The letter, published by The Trevor Project, details the detrimental effect this proposed bill would have on LGBTQ+ youth and urges the administration to pass a budget to protect the funding. According to the letter, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services have connected nearly 1.3 million crisis contacts with life-saving, LGBTQ+-inclusive crisis services since its launch in 2022.

"This is about people, not politics. 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," the letter reads. "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 full letter and the current list of signers are available at The Trevor Project's website. The petition can be signed here.