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A group of HIV-positive men gathered at the U.S.–Mexico border Sunday and staged a coordinated “kiss-in,” aiming to confront what they described as discrimination and hostile immigration policies under President Donald Trump.

The demonstration took place at Friendship Park/Parque de la Amistad between California and Mexico as activists marked the run-up to World AIDS Day, according to The Advocate. MPact Global Action for Gay Men’s Health and Rights officials organized the event. They said they intend to normalize public displays of affection by people living with HIV, push back against stigmas surrounding sex and dating, and highlight concerns that queer migrants face under Trump-era border enforcement.

Andrew Spieldenner, MPact’s executive director, told The Advocate that the group deliberately sought a high-visibility protest at the border.

“As of one of the only openly HIV-positive Executive Directors of a global organization, I am inspired and heartened by this highly visible action for the rights of all people living with HIV, especially queer migrants, when there’s so much fear and disinformation out there,” Spieldenner told The Advocate. “Our communities are powerful when we come together.”

Research from the Williams Institute estimated that roughly 640,000 non-U.S. citizens identify as LGBTQ+ in the United States, including as many as 288,000 undocumented immigrants. Activists claim these migrants face heightened vulnerability under Trump’s immigration policies. Advocacy groups have accused U.S. detention centers of denying lifesaving HIV medications and tolerating violence against LGBTQ+ detainees.

Alex Garner, MPact’s senior director of strategic initiatives, said the border demonstration sought to challenge those conditions.

“MPact works in collaboration with local communities to create the International HIV Kiss-in because it’s a bold, provocative, and revolutionary act to publicly demonstrate the sexuality of people living with HIV and declare the human rights of queer migrants,” Garner said. “We’ve transcended borders of sexuality and of gender, and borders cannot restrict our fight for queer migrants and people living with HIV as we utilize the power of a kiss.”

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Migrants moving through Mexico toward the United States have shown documented HIV prevalence ranging from roughly 0.6% to 2% in studies conducted since 2020, including a large analysis of 9,108 Central American migrants that found a 0.71% overall rate and significantly higher levels among transgender migrants. Additional research in the Tijuana–San Diego border region reported 0.63% HIV prevalence among migrants in 2021, showing a consistent pattern of sub-1% infection rates across major transit points.

A separate surveillance effort by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) found about 2% HIV prevalence among migrants tested at Mexico’s southern border during 2022–2023.

(Featured Image Media Credit: Screen Capture/PBS NewsHour)

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