Whether you know her name or not, you have likely heard or seen Anna Brisbin (a.k.a. Brizzy Voices), online. I first found her years back via YouTube, doing rapid impressions of popular animated characters across decades—something she still does brilliantly. After the release of Bayonetta 3, thousands more were introduced to Brisbin via her role in voicing the punk witch Viola. Now, she’s using the bigger platform to raise funds to help some of the most marginalized in society.
Between October 28 and 30, Brisbin aimed to raise $1000 for the Trans Life Line via a live charity stream on Twitch while playing Bayonetta 3. In the first two days of fundraising, she actually cosplayed as Viola and, then, as Bayonetta (costumes by fellow streamer Stella Chuu). The Trans Life Line is a trans-led organization that helps provide phone support and micro-grants to trans people in need. These resources include immediate life-saving support and aiding people in navigating paperwork like changing identification cards.
In email correspondence with me, Brisbin told me that she raised money for different causes related to civil rights and social justice organizations across the years. The recent streams were her first time using Twitch‘s new Charity Function (which rolled out this summer), which pre-approves select organizations. Brisbin wrote, “You are limited to which organizations are connected through the system, but my research showed Trans Life Line and Transgender Law Center to be great options.”
!donate
The Bayonetta fandom is wonderfully gay—the game is peak camp. So it felt appropriate while playing the game to serve part of the community that is particularly vulnerable right now. It’s just what Bayonetta would want. As she told Viola, ‘Learn to fight for others, not just for yourself.’
Brisbin’s stream raised a total of $5,325.69 for the Trans Life Line in those three days. Because of the success, Brisbin shifted to the Transgender Law Center with a goal of $1,000 and raised another $2,708 while streaming The Last of Us II. The choice to actively include resources and advocate for trans people stands in stark contrast to other Bayonetta 3 news in the last few weeks. The conversation of pay parity for voice actors and the male gaze in the game kind of got derailed as the face of opposition for Bayonetta 3 (Bayonetta 1 and 2 lead voice actress) was found promoting hateful and bigoted organizations in her boycott of the game.
Brisbin wrote:
One of the more memorable parts of the stream for me personally (irrelevant to the fundraising) was just reaching the end of the game where all the emotions finally bubbled up and I turned into a little puddle of tears. This game means so much to me and I’m so grateful and honored to be a part of it. The amazing community coming together to raise money for awesome causes is just the icing on the cake!
If you want to donate directly to Trans Life Line or the Transgender Law Center, click directly on those two links.
(via Twitter, featured image: Nintendo)
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