On MSNBC’s The Weekend: Primetime, co-hosts Antonia Hylton and Ayman Mohyeldin highlighted the Trump administration’s resolution to desert funding the Suicide and Disaster Lifeline’s LGBTQ-specific care, a transfer being known as a “harmful resolution to play politics with actual younger folks’s lives” by… these contracted to hold out the service.
In fact, the 2 hosts – with assist from their visitor, Bob the Drag Queen – lamented that assist wouldn’t be given to these fighting suicidal ideas, whereas ignoring the truth that this care would nonetheless be offered simply because it was earlier than. Hylton opened by specializing in the criticisms of the choice with out ever really explaining what the choice was:
For almost three years, younger LGBTQ+ individuals who known as 988, the nation’s Suicide and Disaster Lifeline, had the choice to press three to obtain specialised companies from LGBTQ-trained counselors. That’s now a factor of the previous. The Trump administration formally shut down this system on Thursday, a transfer advocates say might be devastating for queer kids and younger adults, who’re extra probably – greater than 4 occasions extra probably than their friends to ponder suicide.
President Trump’s resolution was purely a reallocation of funds. The 988 hotline would nonetheless be receiving the very same sum of money, moderately that funding would simply be going to basic companies as an alternative of contracting organizations to deal with these calls. These organizations would nonetheless exist and would proceed to offer these companies, simply not beneath the 988 quantity.
Nonetheless, Hylton and Mohyeldin continued to fearmonger, making this look like a lethal resolution, giving their drag queen visitor a ground to assault Trump and criticize the change.
Hylton requested “Bob” about “how vital 988 and these hotline companies have been for LGBTQ youth and the way you are processing this second we’re all dwelling by way of,” to which he responded:
Lots of people are feeling focused now, far more so than prior to now, and lots of people are feeling the brunt of what it feels prefer to be – to really feel maligned when possibly they did not even really feel maligned earlier than. And I am actually afraid of what the end result might be.
I imply, clearly psychological well being is absolutely vital, particularly in terms of psychological well being surrounding suicidal ideology and the way onerous it may be to get by way of one thing like that. Clearly, if you’re in that way of thinking, you are going to find yourself needing some assist, and it feels actually upsetting that that won’t be offered to individuals who want it now.
Once more, no consideration was given to the truth that each 988 companies and devoted LGBTQ hotlines would each nonetheless exist, simply not beneath the identical umbrella. Satirically, as they complained about Trump politicizing the suicide hotline, they introduced their very own politics into the difficulty.
On a topic as troublesome and vital as suicide, the purpose shouldn’t be to reaffirm gender ideology. The service 988 hotline supplies, whatever the extension, needs to be about serving to these in disaster. That doesn’t imply validating somebody’s psychological well being points. however acknowledging their issues as such whereas guiding them away from ending their life.
It ought to make no distinction whether or not or not the skilled skilled serving to you shared in your ideology, and irrespective of how MSNBC tried to unfold concern over and politicize the Suicide and Disaster Lifeline, all folks would nonetheless have entry to the life-saving companies they wanted.
The transcript is under. Click on “develop” to learn.
MSNBC’s The Weekend: Primetime
July 20, 2025
8:40 p.m. ESTANTONIA HYLTON: For almost three years, younger LGBTQ+ individuals who known as 988, the nation’s Suicide and Disaster Lifeline, had the choice to press three to obtain specialised companies from LGBTQ-trained counselors. That’s now a factor of the previous. The Trump administration formally shut down this system on Thursday, a transfer advocates say might be devastating for queer kids and younger adults, who’re extra probably – greater than 4 occasions extra probably than their friends to ponder suicide.
The CEO of the Trevor Venture mentioned the Trump administration has, quote, “made the damaging resolution to play politics with actual younger folks’s lives.” Becoming a member of us to debate this second is Bob the Drag Queen, comic and drag famous person. He’s the –
AYMAN MOHYELDIN: International. International.
HYLTON: International drag famous person. He’s the New York Occasions best-selling writer of Harriet Tubman: Dwell In Live performance. Uh, large fan of yours, so excited to have you ever on the present. Bob. Thanks for being right here.
I assume we’ll start with the – your response to what this administration has executed this week, how vital 988 and these hotline companies have been for LGBTQ youth, and I assume the way you’re processing this second we’re all dwelling by way of.
BOB THE DRAG QUEEN: Properly, I imply, this week, what this administration, I imply this week, I imply, that could be a – what this – what’s been happening for the previous ten years now, you recognize, I really feel like a variety of our lives have modified since, since Donald Trump got here down that escalator over at Trump Tower, over on, I need to say Sixth Avenue, Avenue of Americas, and the way we have all been processing.
I really feel prefer it’s fascinating how usually, you recognize, they present an image of the president as they age by way of their course of and the way they give the impression of being older. However I really feel like we glance older, like one way or the other all of us look older and extra haggard due to it –
MOHYELDIN: We actually really feel older
BOB: – And [laughs] proper? And clearly, you recognize, lots of people are feeling focused now, far more so than prior to now, and lots of people are feeling the brunt of what it feels prefer to be – to really feel maligned when possibly they did not even really feel maligned earlier than. And I am actually afraid of what the end result might be.
I imply, clearly psychological well being is absolutely vital, particularly in terms of psychological well being surrounding suicidal ideology and the way onerous it may be to get by way of one thing like that. Clearly, if you’re in that way of thinking, you are going to find yourself needing some assist, and it feels actually upsetting that that won’t be offered to individuals who want it now.
MOHYELDIN: Bob, I needed to ask you, if I can, in regards to the media protection right here and the position in attempting to counter the trans hate that exists on this nation, and the place you see the shortfalls and the way in which the nationwide discourse, actually from the media, is across the trans group, but in addition the place typically you get excessive profile democratic politicians like Gavin Newsom, who appear to have pivoted a little bit bit on their views in terms of the rights of trans folks. He is been happening proper wing media, talking to Charlie Kirk and others and mainly calling out the Democrats and his get together for taking a place of being pro-trans.
BOB: Can I simply say, talking to Charlie Kirk isn’t a good suggestion. Nobody needs to be talking to Charlie Kirk. I do not know if we nonetheless do this sort of social isolation, we have all simply agreed that that is one individual we won’t be talking to, however I do consider Charlie Kirk is that individual. , I’ll say this: nobody who really is aware of a trans individual would ever go round saying and doing these items, and I imply, really is aware of.
I do not imply just like the trans girl who works on the fuel station or I – the one who walks down the road; like your accomplice, your kids, your dad and mom, your cousin, your greatest pal, like folks that you simply see each day. And if you notice that everybody’s simply attempting to stay their life, like actually simply attempting to stay your life, attempting to go to the lavatory, attempting to have jobs, deal with their households.
, I used to do that activism again on the road, again within the day once I first moved to New York Metropolis, the place I used to say, you recognize, gay just isn’t a unclean phrase. And now I believe folks have to be reminded that transgender just isn’t a unclean phrase.
what I imply? It’s. It’s a phrase used to explain it’s an adjective used to explain people who find themselves on a regular basis components of each life, like each, queer persons are actually components of each single day. Everybody is aware of a queer individual. And I used to be speaking to somebody on-line the opposite day who was like, why – they had been speaking in regards to the new present 4 Seasons with Tina Fey and Colman Domingo – like, why has it obtained to be a homosexual couple in there? And I used to be like, homosexual persons are in tales as a result of they’re in everybody’s lives. Everybody is aware of a queer individual, so why would we not be in each story? ?
(…)
