Photo courtesy: New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO,

Union members, LGBTQ+ crisis workers and supporters rallied outside Trump Tower on Saturday to protest the Department of Health and Human Services’ decision to eliminate funding for specialized suicide hotline services for LGBTQ+ youth and young adults.

When LGBTQ+ young people in crisis call or text 988, they are connected to counselors who are trained to address their unique needs. Workers at the Trevor Project, represented by Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 1180, handle nearly half of those contacts. While the Trevor Project will continue to operate a helpline for LGBTQ+ youth and young adults, the 988 Lifeline has greater public awareness.

“It felt like he was talking to someone who knew exactly what he was feeling, and it made him feel like he wasn’t alone in the pit he was in,” one protester told NY1, describing how the hotline helped save a friend’s life. “988 is a lifeline for trans people big and small, and to take that away from people who are struggling to look themselves in the mirror is monstrous and vile.”

This cut not only threatens critical mental health support for at-risk youth, but also deliberately targets a compassionate, unionized workforce doing essential life-saving work. These highly trained counselors, many of whom are part of the communities they serve, have answered more than a million calls since the service launched. Stripping this funding sends a clear and dangerous political message, and it will cost lives. The NYC Labor Movement is proud to stand with these workers and calls on Congress to restore funding, protect this vital service, and keep union jobs in place. Check out coverage of the rally from CBS News and NY1.

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