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Bryce Anderson
Sabrina Carpenter
Pride
Sabrina Carpenter, Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa & More Sign Open Letter for LGBTQ+ Suicide Prevention
The stars are calling on the White House and Congress to protect federal funding for the cause.
3h
To kick off Pride Month this year, Sabrina Carpenter, Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa and several more stars have added their names to an open letter advocating to keep federal funding in place for LGBTQ+ suicide prevention measures.
As unveiled by The Trevor Project on Monday (June 2), the letter comes in direct response to a leaked United States Department of Health and Human Services budget that showed the Donald Trump administration’s plans to eliminate funding for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s LGBTQ+-related services, which actively supports young people in the LGBTQ+ community considering suicide. Despite it providing help to more than 1.2 million estimated callers since its launch in 2022, the proposal would have the crisis line’s funding slashed entirely after going into effect on Oct. 1.
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“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,” reads the message, which was also signed by Pedro Pascal, Jamie Lee Curtis, Cara Delevingne, Sarah Paulson, Daniel Radcliffe and Darren Criss. “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.”
Acknowledging that youth suicide in the LGBTQ+ community is a “public health crisis” — with The Trevor Project estimating that more than 1.8 million in the U.S. alone seriously consider suicide every year — the signatories directly called on Congress to “do the right thing” by restoring and protecting funding for 988 in the 2026 budget. The letter ends with a message of support addressed to people most affected by the proposed cuts, as well as an encouragement to sign the nonprofit’s petition to save its program.
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“To every LGBTQ+ young person reading this: You are not alone,” it concludes. “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 honor 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.”
Among the other musicians who signed are Aly & AJ, Bea Miller, Blondshell, Christina Aguilera, Diplo, Ethel Cain, FLETCHER, GAYLE, Julia Michaels, Kelsea Ballerini, King Princess, MARINA, Orville Peck, Tove Lo and Troye Sivan. More big names are likely to sign in the coming days, as the letter will stay open for new signatories on a rolling basis.
The message comes at a particularly harrowing time for members of the LGBTQ+ community, who have watched as Trump has spent his first few months back in office working to undo protections for gay, trans and nonbinary people. GLAAD documented at least 225 attacks on LGBTQ+ rights within the first 100 days of the twice-impeached POTUS’ second term, including attempts to defund HIV research and cut programs supporting the community.
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But as The Trevor Project and its allies put it in their letter, now is the time to “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.”
If you or anyone you know is in crisis, call 988 or visit the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s website for free, confidential emotional support and resources 24/7.
This article was originally published by Billboard U.S.
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