Trump shutting down LGBTQ+ suicide hotline is ‘quite literally criminal’, Jim Parsons says
Trump recently closed specialised queer suicide helpline (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Trump recently closed specialised queer suicide helpline (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
The Trump administration recently shut down the LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Service hotline – a move that out gay Big Bang Theory star Jim Parsons has called ‘criminal’.
Content warning: This article deals with themes of suicide and highlights statistics on suicidality in young people. Reader discretion is advised.
The LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Service hotline, known as the ‘Press 3 Option’, which was set up in conjunction with The Trevor Project, and was part of the wider national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
The Trump administration announced on 19 June that the hotline, through which an estimated 1.3 million crisis contacts were connected to 988’s crisis services, would close 30 days from then; it shut down on 16 July.
During an appearance on on MSNBC’s The Weekend, Jim Parsons, who is best known for his role as Sheldon on CBS’s The Big Bang Theory, branded the move ‘criminal’.
“I think it’s quite literally criminal,” he said on the show.
“It’s one of the kinds of decisions that you’re like, ‘There’s no good reason for it.’ It doesn’t matter what reason you ever put towards it or say it’s the reason it’s happening, it’s never going to be justified.”
Parsons adde: “It is only hurtful and it feels like it’s only being done in order to make a point, we’re getting rid of this because we want to make sure certain people understand they’re not welcome here.”
Actor Jim Parsons on the Trump administration ending the LGBTQ+ youth sucide prevention hotline: “I think it’s quite literally criminal. It’s one of the decisions where there’s no good reason for it. It feels like it’s only being done in order to make a point that we want to make… pic.twitter.com/cmtFqinQQr
— Marco Foster (@MarcoFoster_) July 20, 2025
Trevor Project CEO Jaymes Black said she was “devastated and heartbroken” by the decision.
“The administration is eliminating a critical, life-saving resource that was part of this nation’s public health infrastructure… Today it feels like our country has failed our LGBTQ+ young people. We’ll never stop fighting.”
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) said of Option 3’s closure “Everyone who contacts the 988 Lifeline will continue to receive access to skilled, caring, culturally competent crisis counselors who can help with suicidal, substance misuse, or mental health crises, or any other kind of emotional distress. Anyone who calls the Lifeline will continue to receive compassion and help.”
Ariana Grande, Pedro Pascal, Daniel Radcliffe and more signed an open letter 2 June urging lawmakers to protect an estimated $50 million in federal funding for hotline.
LGBTQ+ young people can still contact 988 for specialised crisis services until 17 July, and will be able to do after, without specialised services. They may also contact The Trevor Project, 24/7 and for free.
The Human Rights Campaign has also compiled a list of resources for queer people to contact.
Suicide is preventable. Readers who are affected by the issues raised in this story are encouraged to contact the Samaritans on 116 123 (www.samaritans.org), or Mind on 0300 123 3393 (www.mind.org.uk). Readers in the US are encouraged to contact the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255.
Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.
