HHS Official Pressed on Shutting Down LGBTQ Youth Suicide Hotline

HHS Response to LGBTQ Youth Suicide Hotline

• 🎯 Representative Krishnamoorthi questioned Dr. Frink, Acting Assistant Secretary of HHS, regarding the department's decision to end a specialized hotline for LGBTQ youth.
• ⚠️ The hotline reportedly received nearly 70,000 calls in June 2025, doubling in just two years, indicating rising demand.
• 💡 Despite this demand, HHS ended the specialized hotline, which Representative Krishnamoorthi stated was due to "anti-DEI efforts."

Disputed Statistics and Agency Oversight

• 📊 The CDC's 2017, 2018, and 2020 data indicated that LGBTQ youth are about four times more likely to attempt suicide than their peers, a statistic Dr. Frink did not dispute.
• 🚫 Dr. Frink stated she does not oversee SAMA (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) and therefore could not comment on the specific number of calls handled by the LGBTQ youth hotline.
• 🗣️ Representative Krishnamoorthi pressed Dr. Frink on disputing the reported call numbers from SAMA, to which Dr. Frink responded she was not disputing them but was unable to comment.

Concerns Over Child Health and Suicide Prevention

• 🆘 The representative emphasized the critical nature of the issue, highlighting that the discussion involved children on the verge of committing suicide.
• 🏥 While Dr. Frink attempted to redirect the conversation to the "metabolic chronic disease epidemic," Representative Krishnamoorthi insisted on the importance of addressing child health and suicide rates.
• 🚪 The administration's decision to end the hotline was characterized as "shutting the door" on LGBTQ youth seeking help during a critical time.
• 📉 The hearing, focused on "meals and pills," was also urged to address the broader issue of reducing suicides among children.