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Twitch streamer Hbomberguy got assists from the likes of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Cher, and Chelsea Manning.
A Twitch fundraiser for trans rights raised $340,000 and featured video-game drop-ins by the likes of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and government whistleblower Chelsea Manning, and some promotion courtesy of Cher.
Twitch streamer Harry Brewis, known online by the handle Hbomberguy, raised the money over the course of a 57-hour stream of "Donkey Kong 64." Proceeds will go to Mermaids, a group that supports trans and gender-nonconforming young people.
"This weekend one guy raised over $340,000 for Mermaids by playing Donkey Kong online and uniting the world behind trans kids and the trans community," read a post on the Mermaids Twitter account. "Thanks to @Hbomberguy, this Monday is awesome!"
In his own post, Brewis said he had not planned for the "Donkey Kong 64" event to grow so large, but encouraged people to continue donating directly to the United Kingdom-based charity.
At one point on Sunday, Ocasio-Cortez jumped into the stream using the handle AOC. She called trans discrimination a "core reason" for economic hardship. She also raved about how much she specifically played "Donkey Kong 64" in her own youth. Ocasio-Cortez also tweeted about the event to her followers, the same day received attention for promoting trans rights at the Women's March.
Over the weekend, pro-LGBTQ celebrities including Cher and author Neil Gaiman tweeted about the live-stream and charity fundraiser, substantially increasing the event's profile.
Some tech-savvy notables, including Manning and "Doom" creator John Romero, actually jumped into the Twitch stream, according to GameRevolution.
