Alex Garner, Director of Community Engagement at MPact, told Queerguru that this work is personal, and deeply political. He believes that when queer migrants living with HIV gather to kiss, to hold hands, or simply to show up unapologetically, they’re making one of the most radical statements of all: We exist, we have agency, and we will not be erased.   Visibility is powerful, but for queer migrants, it’s rarely safe. That’s why, Garner explains, MPact creates spaces where individuals can decide their own level of visibility, their own narrative, and their own form of resistance.

This year, that space looks like a kiss: loud, public, and deeply political. For some, it’s a form of protest. For others, it’s a love letter to their younger selves who were taught to hide. “Joy is an act of rebellion,” Garner shares. “To prioritize our sexuality in these hostile times is a declaration of our humanity.”

One of the clearest calls he makes is to decriminalize migration altogether. “These are not violent criminals. They are people fleeing violence and discrimination, and seeking to live where they can fully express their sexuality and gender.”

MPact is a community-led gathering created by and for queer migrants living with HIV, exemplifying this shift from advocacy for marginalized people to advocacy by marginalized people.  “It demonstrates that our community exists,” Garner says. “They are willing to speak up and take a stand against homophobia, serophobia, and xenophobia.”Whether through political speech or public affection, these acts reclaim both movement and meaning. When people decide to be visible as queer, or HIV-positive, or migrant, it means they are accepting the risks because they know it will be better for those who come after them,” he says.

Garner has been openly living with HIV for nearly 30 years, but what gives him hope isn’t his own resilience; it’s witnessing new generations take the torch.  And for younger activists? He has one message: Do not lead with fear.