The border lit up with color, movement, and unapologetic affection as queer migrants and people living with HIV gathered for a bold HIV Kiss-In that turned visibility into protest. The demonstration, organized by MPact Global, centered queer migrants at the front of the action, literally and symbolically, while activists, allies, and organizers surrounded them in support.
Now that photos from the event have been released, the impact is easy to see: couples embracing, community leaders speaking to a packed crowd, and migrants sharing their stories and their joy with a level of openness that doubled as defiance.
A Political Demonstration Rooted in Visibility
The Kiss-In, also called Besoton Sidoso Internacional, has always been intentionally provocative. This year’s action pushed that even further by placing queer migrants living with HIV at the heart of the demonstration. MPact’s longtime approach, letting those most affected shape the message, was evident in every image and every moment.
Alex Garner, MPact’s senior director of strategic initiatives and communications, has long emphasized that queer migrants should lead the movement. The event captured that philosophy in real time: migrants held the megaphone, decided how visible they wanted to be, and expressed their sexuality publicly and freely.
The photos reveal what words alone can’t capture: queer migrants embracing without fear; activists locked in long, unapologetic kisses; and individuals proudly holding signs demanding dignity, mobility, and health care.
Showing the Value and Power of Queer Migrant Lives
One of the most striking aspects of the event is how clearly it affirmed the humanity of queer migrants living with HIV. Garner has often described them as complex people whose value is too often ignored. The photos reflect that complexity: joy, determination, vulnerability, and celebration layered together.
Their presence at the front of the march pushed back against narratives that portray queer migrants as silent or passive. Instead, they were powerful, vocal, strategic, and deeply visible.
One shot captures a migrant couple kissing with the border wall behind them, an image that encapsulates the point of the entire event. It’s intimate and political at the same time.
Centering Joy as Resistance
Joy was not a side effect of the gathering, it was the strategy. The Kiss-In has always used intimacy as a political tool, and this year’s images show how transformative that can be.
Activists held each other’s faces with tenderness. Entire friend groups formed circles to kiss, laugh, and pose for photos. A speaker smiled through an emotional moment while addressing stigma, migration, and health justice.
The visual record reinforces what activists have been saying for years: when queer people living with HIV prioritize pleasure and connection, especially in public spaces, it directly challenges the systems that attempt to restrict or erase them.
Highlighting the Realities Migrants Face
Even amid celebration, the demonstration remained grounded in the realities queer migrants face, especially those in detention. Many speakers addressed barriers to health care, safety concerns, and the ongoing dehumanization of migrants living with HIV.
One photo shows a powerful moment where a speaker holds the microphone with one hand and clutches HIV medication in the other, underscoring how access to treatment should be a basic human right, not a negotiation.
A Call for Continuous, Global Solidarity
Social media has already amplified the images far beyond the border region, connecting queer migrants in other countries to the event’s message. Garner has emphasized that visibility helps people across continents feel seen and represented, especially those who cannot safely be public.
The newly released photos will likely continue circulating, building momentum for future actions and reminding viewers around the world that queer migrants living with HIV are leading some of the most urgent human rights work happening today.
Celebrating Courage Through Shared Imagery
Garner often describes courage as a form of hope, and the photo set captures that sentiment clearly. From big, theatrical kisses to quiet moments between partners, the images show people declaring their worth and asserting their place in a world that has not always protected them.
The Kiss-In’s photos aren’t just documentation, they’re proof of a movement. They show queer migrants claiming space, rewriting narratives, and demonstrating that visibility can be both tender and radical.
