Culture

“988” Could Soon Become the National Suicide Hotline Number


 

In a historic move, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act on Monday. The Act, which was introduced by Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner in October 2019 and passed the Senate in May, will designate the number “988” as the National Suicide Prevention Hotline, as opposed to the more wieldy 1-800-273-8255 (TALK).

Notably, the legislation is the first explicitly LGBTQ+-inclusive bill to pass Congress unanimously, according to The Trevor Project.

Section 6 of the bill — which was backed by advocacy groups like The Trevor Project — states that LGBTQ+ youth are more than four times more likely to struggle with suicidal ideation than their peers and that 1 in 3 trans youth report attempting suicide. It also notes that Indigenous people have the highest suicide rate of any U.S. racial or ethnic group and that the suicide rates in rural areas are significantly higher than elsewhere.

Citing the above factors, the legislation calls for a report to be delivered no later than 180 days after the bill is passed. It will include a detailed strategy for National Suicide Prevention Lifeline counselors to “increase competency in serving-high risk populations,” as well as recommendations for the facilitation of access to services for organizations geared toward LGBTQ+ youth and minorities and a strategy for allowing high-risk callers to access specialized services.

The bill has been applauded by LGBTQ+ organizations and advocates, not only for the fact that it will make dialing the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline much easier but also because of its recommendations on cultural competency for marginalized populations.

“For young people, suicide is the second leading cause of death, and we know that there are a number of populations at higher risk for suicide attempt,” said Sam Brinton, VP of Advocacy and Government Affairs at the Trevor Project, in a statement shared with them. “Signing The National Suicide Hotline Designation Act into law will make it easier to prevent suicide and to connect Americans with the support they need, especially [LGBTQ+] youth.”

Now that the bill has passed Congress and the number has been approved by the Federal Communications Commission, it is up to President Donald Trump to sign the legislation into law. If and when Trump does sign it, Americans will be able to dial 988 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline starting on July 16, 2022.

In the meantime, callers in need can contact Trans Lifeline and The Trevor Project for LGBTQ-specific suicide intervention measures.

Signing the bill would represent an extremely rare win for the LGBTQ+ community under the current administration. Since taking office, the nonprofit organization GLAAD reports that Trump’s White House has been behind at least 175 anti-LGBTQ+ actions, including blocking trans access to homeless shelters, making it more difficult for trans people to get health care, opposing job protections for LGBTQ+ workers, and banning most trans people from military service.

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