Grande, Pascal & Carpenter Urge Funding for 988 Lifeline
More than 100 stars, led by Ariana Grande, Pedro Pascal and Sabrina Carpenter, have signed a Trevor Project letter imploring Washington to keep the $50 million that sustains the 988 Lifeline’s LGBTQ+ youth service.
‘We will not stay silent’
“Protecting LGBTQ+ youth from suicide is about people, not politics,” the open letter states, calling any cut to the federally funded hotline “a life-or-death decision.”
What’s at stake
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Funding under threat: A leaked FY 2026 Health & Human Services draft budget would zero-out the $50 m set aside for specialised LGBTQ+ counsellors on the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
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Lives saved: Since launch in 2022, the LGBTQ-dedicated queue has fielded ≈1.3 million crisis contacts.
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Disproportionate risk: U.S. LGBTQ+ youth remain 4 × more likely to attempt suicide than their cis-het peers.
Who signed
Alongside Grande, Pascal and Carpenter, backers include Dua Lipa, Daniel Radcliffe, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sarah Paulson, Cara Delevingne, Troye Sivan, and Trixie Mattel. A running signatory list is hosted by The Trevor Project and remains open.
Why it matters now
The letter lands at the start of Pride Month, amid a broader global spike in anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric: campaigners say far-right parties from Hungary to Spain increasingly weaponise queer rights to polarise voters, fuelling hate crimes and mental-health harms.
Next steps
Congress will hammer out the final FY 2026 budget in late summer 2025. Advocates urge constituents to call lawmakers and keep pressure high until the $50 million line item is restored.
How you can help tonight
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Call your House member and say, in your own words, “Please preserve the $50 million for LGBTQ+ counselors on the 988 Lifeline.”
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Share the open letter on your socials.
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Check in on the queer teens you know. A text that says “I’m glad you’re here” costs nothing.
Stay loud, stay kind, and—especially this month—stay in the fight. 🌈