“Big Bang Theory” star Jim Parsons is slamming President Donald Trump for this “criminal” decision.
The president’s administration announced in June that it was shutting down the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s LGBTQ+ youth service, and Parsons believes he knows why it’s happening.
“I think it’s quite literally criminal,” said Parsons, who is gay, during an appearance on MSNBC’s “The Weekend” program. “It’s one of the kinds of decisions that you’re like, ‘There’s no good reason for it.’”
“It doesn’t matter what reason you ever put towards it or say it’s the reason it’s happening, it’s never going to be justified,” the actor said. “It is only hurtful.
“It feels like it’s only being done in order to make a point … Like, ‘We’re getting rid of this because we want to make sure certain people understand they’re not welcome here,’” Parsons added.
The LGBTQ+ youth services section of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline launched in September 2022, allowing anyone who called 988 to then select option 3 to receive mental health support tailored to the needs of LGBTQ+ youth.
The Trevor Project, one of the groups that had contracted with the government to provide counseling for LGBTQ+ youth, issued a statement after news that the specialized program would close.
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“This is devastating, to say the least. Suicide prevention is about people, not politics,” said the organization, which will continue to offer services via its own hotline.
“The administration’s decision to remove a bipartisan, evidence-based service that has effectively supported a high-risk group of young people through their darkest moments is incomprehensible.”
