This November 30, on the eve of World AIDS Day, a kiss will cross borders, literally. MPact Global is returning to Friendship Park on the U.S.-Mexico border for the International HIV Kiss-In, known as Besoton Sidoso Internacional. The annual demonstration uses one powerful gesture, public affection, to challenge stigma, demand dignity, and celebrate the lives and agency of queer migrants and people living with HIV.
Rather than speeches or protest signs, the Kiss-In turns intimacy into activism. It centers sexuality, visibility, and joy as essential human rights, especially for those who are often silenced or criminalized. The timing is intentional: the day before World AIDS Day, when global attention turns to awareness and remembrance, this demonstration adds something vital to the conversation: pleasure, pride, and presence.
Led by Those Living It
MPact Global doesn’t just speak about queer migrants living with HIV, it lets them lead. The organization’s role is to provide resources and support while allowing community members to determine how they want to show up.
“We prefer to have queer migrants lead so they can determine what risks and safety they’re most comfortable with,” explained Alex Garner, senior director of strategic initiatives and communications at MPact Global. “We amplify their voices and speak out when they are unable to do so.”
The border location is symbolic, a reminder that identity, desire, and belonging don’t stop where a fence stands. Nor should one’s right to be seen.
Challenging Misconceptions
One of the most pervasive myths MPact aims to dismantle is that HIV-positive queer migrants lack agency. Garner pushes back on that stereotype.
“They choose how to use their voice,” he said. “Some are politically vocal, while others use visibility through sexuality and expression. They’re complex people with desires, identities, and agency.”
The Kiss-In reinforces that people living with HIV aren’t just statistics or stories of survival. They’re living lives full of protest, pleasure, love, and leadership.
The Reality Inside Detention
For queer migrants held in U.S. detention, the situation is often bleak. Access to health care, mental health support, and HIV treatment is inconsistent, and sometimes denied outright.
“They are completely dehumanized,” Garner said. “There are scores of evidence showing LGBTQ migrants are vulnerable to assault and that their health needs are ignored.”
His policy priority is clear: “Decriminalize migration. These are not violent criminals. They are fleeing violence and discrimination to live openly and fully.”
Joy as Resistance
The event is intentionally scheduled for the day before World AIDS Day. While December 1 often focuses on remembrance, the Kiss-In insists on adding affirmation, pleasure, and life.
“Joy is an act of rebellion,” Garner said. “For queer people living with HIV, sexuality is still an act of resistance when our bodies and sexuality are stigmatized.”
It’s activism: tender, bold, and unapologetically visible.
Activism Without Borders
Garner believes the future of HIV advocacy is borderless, both literally and digitally.
“Borders are a construct, just like sexuality and gender,” he said. “Social media allows us to highlight voices that are less represented and show the strength of our communities.”
Those unable to attend are encouraged to share their own expressions of sexuality and solidarity online, using digital platforms to expand visibility beyond one border crossing.
Hope, Courage, and the Next Chapter
Asked what gives him hope in this movement, Garner didn’t hesitate: courage.
“When people fearlessly declare who they are, even knowing the risks, it proves their lives matter,” he said. “That kind of courage can change the world.”
This November 30, a kiss becomes more than a gesture, it becomes a declaration. A reminder that visibility is power, joy is political, and love doesn’t recognize borders.
Not just the eve of World AIDS Day. The beginning of a louder conversation.
