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A photo of a flyer for the 988 helpline. (Courtesy of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) |
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The Trump administration is shutting down an LGBTQ+ suicide prevention hotline.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) said the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline will close its specialized services program for LGBTQ+ youth on July 17.
The administration has said the proposed budget would not grant taxpayer money to a chat service “encouraging children to embrace radical gender ideologies.” The administration said the services will be folded into the main suicide prevention line.
Some backstory:
Soon after its launch in July 2022, the 988 Lifeline included a subnetwork for LGBTQ+ individuals to connect with specialized services, in which people dialing 988 are given the option to press 3 to reach crisis counselors trained to work with LGBTQ+ youth and adults under 25.
According to the latest data from SAMHSA, more than 14.5 million people have called, texted or sent chats to the 988 Lifeline and have been transferred to a crisis contact center since July 2022. Nearly 1.3 million of those were routed to the LGBTQ+ specialized service.
“We know LGBTQ youth are four times more likely to commit suicide than their youth counterparts,” said Precious Brady-Davis, a commissioner for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. “Youth deserve people who understand what it’s like to come out. It’s support services, it’s resources, it’s comfort, it’s someone telling them it’s OK to be who you are.”
“When we think about the scores of young people, particularly the LGBTQ community and more narrowly the trans community, who attempt suicide yearly, I would like to see the data that supports such an assumption,” said Channyn Lynne Parker, CEO of Brave Space Alliance. “I would not want to test that theory out especially when it comes to really vulnerable lives.”
The Trevor Project surveyed more than 28,000 LGBTQ+ young people and found 11% of White youth attempted suicide, compared to 22% of Native/Indigenous youth, 16% of Black youth, 15% of Latinx youth and 10% of Asian/Pacific Islander youth. |
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Banana leaves are common both as a cooking vessel and as a plate, as in the feast known as sadya, in Kerala. (iStock) |
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For many Americans, “Indian food” means butter chicken, naan, mango lassi, and maybe some tandoor-roasted meats. It’s akin to knowing American food as burgers and pizza, thereby neglecting Southern food, Tex-Mex, and all the thoroughly Americanized versions of other cuisines that have come to define eating in this country. India is an enormous subcontinent with a vast array of geographies, climates, religions, and cultures that have together produced many unique cuisines, only a few dishes of which have made their way with immigrants to America and then been adapted to Western palates and the ingredients available here when they started opening restaurants. But in recent years, some chefs and restaurateurs have begun to spotlight the diversity of Indian cuisine, a trend mirrored in India itself.
The tropical south has been a special area of focus; Tamil Nadu-rooted Semma was number one on the New York Times best restaurants in New York this year and won a James Beard Award, while Thattu also made a New York Times best list. Locally, Thalaiva’s Indian Kitchen in suburban Park Ridge has been nominated for a Jean Banchet Award and received a positive review from Chicago magazine as it zeroes in on the food of landlocked Kongu Nadu.
“You will see, in the next five to ten years, this southern or coastal Indian food will grow rapidly in the United States,” restaurateur Sujan Sarkar said. “I think that flavor-wise it really works well as an entry point to Indian food,” he says. “Because it’s so subtle, so flavorful, a lot of things can be vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free.” If people are familiar with southern Indian food, they might associate it with vegetarianism. But Kerala is notable for its wide range of meats, thanks to its cosmopolitan history as a center of the spice trade. |
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(left to right) Ensemble members Namir Smallwood and Amy Morton in Steppenwolf Theatre’s Chicago premiere of “You Will Get Sick.” (Michael Brosilow) |
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Earlier this month, Steppenwolf Theatre won the Tony Award for Best Play. The theater also opened a new show this month, and it’s a stunner. “You Will Get Sick” is laugh-out-loud funny and deadly serious. It’s a puzzle of a play where the pieces come together in surreal but satisfying ways.
Ensemble member Namir Smallwood plays a young man who isn’t well. He seeks help from an older stranger, played by Amy Morton. Plot-wise, that’s all I’m saying — except that it owes a debt to “The Wizard of Oz” and possibly Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds.” See it and you’ll know.
Morton was an ensemble member at Remains Theatre for 15 years before joining Steppenwolf in 1997. She has earned Tony nominations (“August: Osage County” and “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”), made movies (“Up in the Air” with George Clooney) and played desk sergeant Trudy Platt in the NBC series “Chicago P.D.” for 12 years.
“You Will Get Sick” defies expectations and has more than a few tricks up its sleeve. As the young folks say, “It’s sick.” WTTW News spoke with Morton about her latest role at Steppenwolf, in a play written by Noah Diaz and directed by Audrey Francis.
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Back in the Day: June 24, 1978 - More Than 2000 Protestors Drown Out Nazi Rally |
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When John Belushi says, “I hate Illinois Nazis” in the 1980 comedy “The Blues Brothers” co-starring Dan Aykroyd, it wasn’t a throwaway line. The 1970s in the state were a flashpoint between the hate group and its citizens. In 1976, the Illinois chapter of the National Socialist Party of America (neo-Nazis) had been denied by Skokie, a predominantly Jewish community that was home to thousands of Holocaust survivors, to hold a rally so they sued the city. The case made it to the Supreme Court, where they ruled 5-4 against Skokie allowed the Nazis to March. By the summer of 1978 it was likely that the Nazis would get a permit to demonstrate in Skokie, but the Nazis decided to move the rally to Chicago because they worried for their safety. On this day in 1978, 2,000 anti-fascist demonstrators drowned out a paltry and pathetic gathering of around 20 neo-Nazis. According to the New York Times, the Nazis were protected "behind three rows of barricades and a rigid phalanx of police under a large Alexander Calder sculpture," but they were still "pelted with eggs, rocks, wood and bottles." Despite the national attention this meager band of goose-stepping demonstrators received, the Times noted that “[The Nazis] have not shown any evidence of attracting new followers.” |
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This Week’s Staff Recommendations: Best Songs About Chicago (That Aren’t Played Out) |
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Every Tuesday, WTTW News staffers highlight their favorite things about Chicago. This week, it’s “Chicago Tonight: Week in Review” host Nick Blumberg on locally-focused music.
Nick Blumberg: Chicago’s a music town – a great city for live performances, a hotbed of talent, and a favorite subject for many an artist. And while we all love “Sweet Home Chicago” and other well-worn tunes, there are plenty of other Chicago-centric tracks you may not have heard.
“Born in Chicago” by Ronnie Baker Brooks
The son of legendary bluesman Lonnie Brooks, Ronnie came up in his dad’s band and has been a fixture on the city’s music scene for years. Say what you will about nepo babies, but his searing guitar and powerhouse vocals make this a fitting tribute to the town that made him.
“I’ve Thought About Chicago” by Nation of Language
Having lived away from my hometown for the better part of a decade, I know how it feels for Chicago to occupy a corner of your mind and refuse to be quiet. The 80s-inspired synths, melancholy lyrics, and dreamy, echo-y vocals on this song are an evocative mix.
“Chicagoland” by Magic Man
No, not the Heart song – the electronic rock band Magic Man may have hailed from Boston, but this gem from their brief-but-glorious run during the 2010s is a perfectly unabashed love song to our city, great for a jaunt down the lakefront on a beautiful day or night.
“Cherries & Cream” by Remi Wolf
The delightfully weird singer-songwriter pays tribute to an amorous Halloween spent at the Empty Bottle, a fantastic place to see a show. When she performed this track on her most recent tour, the ecstatic crowd made clear how much we appreciated the musical hat tip.
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What’s your favorite public pool in Chicago? Tell us why. |
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published. |
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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry |
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