In 2022, the federal government launched 988: three digits anyone in crisis can call, text, or chat instead of dialing 911. Research published in JAMA has linked the 988 launch to an 11% drop in youth suicide deaths. It's working. But nationwide, 71% of 988 call centers report they're struggling just to stay staffed, and right now there's no guarantee of what happens after someone hangs up. On top of that, the federal government's FY2026 budget request would cut dedicated funding for 988's specialized LGBTQ+ service, the option that handles roughly 10% of all 988 contacts and is used disproportionately by LGBTQ+ youth ages 13 to 17.

As a drag artist, I've watched people in my own community, especially young LGBTQ+ people, treat 988 as the only lifeline they have when there's nowhere else to turn. Answering the phone is only the first step. Keeping someone safe in the weeks after that call is the harder part, and right now only a small slice of crisis centers get dedicated funding to follow up at all.

Congress already has a bill that would help: H.R. 8122, the 9-8-8 Connect Act, introduced this year and currently sitting in the House Energy and Commerce Committee. It would fund follow-up care at crisis centers nationwide and make 988 easier to reach in the first place.

We're calling on Congress to pass H.R. 8122 now, before a program that's already saving lives gets left to run without anyone checking back in.

Sign this petition and demand Congress fund the follow-up care that keeps people safe after they call 988.