Since the pandemic began in 2020, we have seen the rise of platforms such as Twitch where people can live stream to their fan base. Influencers will often have money donations turned on the stream, but the money does not go towards any cause, just goes straight into their pocket.
Despite this, there are a variety of streamers that use their platform for more than just raising money for their own bank account. One of these streamers is Kayla Sims, aka Lilsimsie.
Kayla Sims is a 24-year-old YouTuber/Streamer from Orlando, Florida who has been posting YouTube videos since 2018. Since she began posting, Kayla has been open about her father’s battle with cancer while she was a teenager, fundraises annually every May for St. Jude’s Children Hospital. In 2020, Kayla raised almost $200,000 for the cause, in 2021 she raised $320,000, in 2022 she rasied $366,000. In 2023 and 2024, Kayla and her community raised over $500,000 both years. Kayla has been recognized by St. Jude in many ways, including invites to tour their facilities and being invited to various banquets and galas.
St. Jude’s is not the only platform that Kayla has fundraised for in the past. Kayla has also fundraised $360,000 for AbleGamers, a charity that works to make gaming inclusive for all regardless of their ability; $28,000 for the Transgender Law Center, the largest national trans-led organization advocating for trans youth in America; $39,000 for the National Center for Transgender Equality, which advocates to change policies in society to increase acceptance of Transgender people.
More recently, Kayla was one of the largest Twitch Streamers to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and educate her audience about the genocide happening there currently. Kayla was applauded by her fellow streamers for speaking up and fundraising for the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, an organization that provides free medical care to those who lack access within their local healthcare systems. After other streamers started calling her “brave” and “a hero” for speaking up for Palestinians, in one of her streams, Kayla talked about how she did not feel she should be called a hero or applauded for this, and talked about how she was fundraising because she has the platform and ability to do so, and that it was the right thing to do.
Kayla has never shied away from using the privilege and platform she has to raise awareness and help those who do not have access to the resources she has. Kayla is never afraid to call out those who try and come into her community who are speaking with ignorance and hatred. The community that she has created is a safe space for individuals who hold various identities.
Personally, how I found Kayla’s YouTube and Twitch stream was during the 2020 Lockdown. I was struggling with my mental health, had no friends to talk to as an escape, and overall just felt lost. I was always a nerdy person who enjoyed watching video games on YouTube, and when I stumbled upon Kayla and her community, I felt like I had 1000+ new friends. Kayla also is incredibly focused on providing representation for every community while she plays the game she streams the most, The Sims 4. A life simulation game like the Sims creates the chance for her to create characters with various ethnicity, sexualities, gender identities, and most importantly to me, different body types.
Kayla consistently uses her platform to help the greatest amount of people possible and this should not go unrecognized. In a world full of content creators like Jake Paul, Andrew Tate, and Shane Dawson, we should recognize those that are uplifting others, instead of tearing down marginalized communities.
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