988 crisis hotline for LGBTQ+ youth to be restored

When Ethan Margolis was 13, he said he saw posters for the 988 mental health hotline while attending the Gay-Straight Alliance club at Great Neck South Middle School. But he never thought he would have to contact the help line himself.

When Margolis, now 15, experienced online bullying because of his identities within the LGBTQ+ spectrum, he said he turned to 988 for help.

“Throughout the texting and calls [from the hotline], I would talk about people saying I wasn’t normal and that I need to kill myself or move to a different country,” he said.

Over time, Margolis said he “got his emotions out” using the 988 hotline’s LGBTQ+ youth service.

The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, announced last year that the service was being removed from the national 988 system to "focus on serving all help seekers."

But last month the agency announced they are bringing back the specialized line for LGBTQ+ youth, which provides counselors skilled in talking about issues facing that population.

“As directed by Congress, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is working with Vibrant Emotional Health, the 988 Network Administrator, to resume operations of specialized services for LGBTQ+ youth by the end of the year,” an agency spokesperson said in an emailed comment to Newsday.

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-Pearl River) has pushed for the service to be reinstated and worked to gather $33.1 million in funding for it.

“We need to move quickly, provide the resources necessary to fully restore these services, and make sure no young person in crisis is left without someone to answer the call," he said in a release.  

Members of Long Island's House delegation did not respond to requests for comment.

'We need some help'

Alberto Arroyo, 24, a LGBTQ+ Port Washington resident, said that without a person on the other end of the line who can relate to the LGBTQ+ community, youth who need it won't use it and it will be “counterproductive to what the hotline is supposed to stand for.”

Since President Donald Trump was reelected, more LGBTQ+ Long Island residents have reached out to local organizations for support, according to David Kilmnick, president and founder of the New York LGBT Network.

“We have heard from a lot more kids and parents too who are worried," he said. "A lot more parents are contacting us saying ‘We need some help, I am worried about my kid being alive.’"

While New York State laws protect LGBTQ+ residents, a 2021 study by Stony Brook Medicine found that 2 in 3 LGBTQ+ respondents experienced verbal harassment, and nearly 32% faced physical harassment due to their identity.

For TJ Caruso, a 23-year-old who identifies as queer, his main concern is for members of the LGBTQ+ community who are from more isolated areas.

“I'm thinking about rural areas where people are even less likely to voice themselves and feel comfortable about their sexuality,” Caruso, from Wantagh, said. “It's just going to lead to further marginalization of an already marginalized community.”