Americans in the LGBTQ community are reeling from the presidential election. The Rainbow Youth Project, an organization focused on young LGBTQ people, reported it’s “receiving an unprecedented number of crisis outreach calls” in the wake of Donald Trump’s victory.
The organization told ABC News that, in the 10 days following the 2024 presidential election, it fielded more than 5,400 calls. That’s nearly seven times the 800 calls it gets in a typical month.
The group explained that 19 percent of its callers have suicidal ideation in an average month. Recently, though, that’s risen to 31.6 percent.
Lance Preston, the Rainbow Youth Project’s Executive Director, told the outlet that his organization wasn’t “prepared for the overwhelming call volume” they saw. It forced them to place callers, some of whom were supporters of LGBTQ youth, on hold.
“I think it’s been a wake-up call for a lot of people,” Preston said.
The Rainbow Youth Project isn’t alone. The Trevor Project reported its crisis outreach volume also increased nearly 700 percent on Nov. 6, compared to the weeks prior.
In a post-election note, Jaymes Black, the CEO of The Trevor Project assured worried people that the organization will continue “to ensure that every LGBTQ+ young person has access to safe, affirming spaces, especially during challenging times.”
Calls at the LGBT National Hotline, meanwhile, were five times more than usual, the outlet reported.
“It’s been all hands on deck. Here, it is coming from all over the country,” Aaron Almanza, the program’s executive director, told the outlet. However, we are definitely seeing more calls coming from red states, though it’s not a huge amount more than blue states. The fear is from all over the country. It is all ages.”
On Facebook, the organization added, “It may take time to process and regroup. Just know that you are loved and you matter, That isn’t changing. You are part of an amazing community and family. We’re all here to uplift and care for each other.”
