White House creates 'special hotline' for LGBT youth in response to GOP legislation

WASHINGTON (TND) — The White House said Thursday it was "proud" to offer a new "special hotline" for "LGBTQI+ kids," citing "legislative bullying" in states that have been restricting access to transgender treatment services for minors and preventing transgender athletes from competing in sex-specific sports.

During a press briefing Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre railed against GOP-led states pushing what she called "anti-LGBTQ bills," pointing to three this week that became law in Kansas, Indiana and Idaho.

In Kansas, the state legislature banned transgender athletes from competing in sex-specific sports that don't align with their biological gender. In Indiana and Idaho, laws were passed to prevent minors from obtaining transgender treatment services, like gender change surgeries, cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers.

"Look, this is awful news," Jean-Pierre said Thursday of the restrictions. "If you're feeling overwhelmed you call 988, the national crisis hotline and dial the number three to talk to a counselor who has been specifically trained to support LGBTQI+ kids. This is a new service that the Biden administration is proud to offer during these incredibly hard times for these trans kids."

Kansas, Indiana and Idaho are just three of a litany of other GOP-led states that have either restricted or are attempting to restrict minors from obtaining "gender-affirming care," or that have been pushing for transgender athletes to be banned from participating on sex-specific sports teams that don't align with their biological genders.

READ MORE: "Florida Senate passes bill banning gender change procedures for minors"

However, despite the grim picture Jean-Pierre painted, the Biden administration released a new Title IX proposal Thursday forbidding K-12 schools and colleges from enacting outright bans preventing transgender athletes from participating on teams that don't align with their gender assigned at birth.

During Thursday's press briefing from the White House, Jean-Pierre insisted the Biden administration had the backs of "LGBTQI+ kids." She also said how proud the administration was of kids who have organized school walkouts and other protests "to tell the politicians in their states to stop this legislative bullying."

"I know that these political attacks can really take toll on people's mental health, so I want to say directly to LGBTQI+ kids you are loved just as you are, just the way you are," Jean-Pierre continued. "LGBTQI+ kids are resilient, they are fierce, they fight back, they're not going anywhere, and we have their back, this administration has their back."