“We are perceived as threats”: Supersero denounces serophobia by beginning a hunger strike

Supersero and Christophe Paco have called for a gathering in front of all the Courthouses of mainland France this Wednesday at 6 p.m. The activists are demanding legislative recognition of serophobia, before the start of the 2027 presidential campaign.

For the past three days now, Christophe Paco and Nice native Nicolas Aragona, alias Supersero have been present in front of the Reims Courthouse to denounce serophobia. Both are HIV-positive, a virus that attacks the immune system and weakens the body’s defenses against infections.

To be heard, Supersero joined the Reims activist to begin a hunger strike and stop taking their respective treatments. The objective is to demand a legislative response aimed at protecting victims of this stigmatization. In parallel, a petition was launched at the initiative of activist Christophe Paco, with the same objective in mind.

For the past 17 years, Supersero has faced serophobia on a daily basis. A figure in the struggle on social media for six years, he is trying to alert political leaders and organizations to the urgency of this phenomenon. Serophobia is expressed through discriminatory behavior towards HIV-positive people. Between social rejection, insults, harassment, threats and outing (the forced disclosure of HIV-positive status without the consent of the person concerned – editor’s note), the daily lives of the two activists are particularly difficult. “People come to my home trying to kill me. Christophe receives insults in his building, is called an AIDS victim and finds garbage in front of his door,” Supersero confided.

The demonization of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) represents a real psychosocial threat to those affected. Nicolas emphasized a point: “people consider us as dangers because of false beliefs.” He reminds us that a person living with HIV is first and foremost a tested person who has therefore broken the transmission chain.

This Wednesday, at 6 p.m., the two activists called for a gathering in front of all the Courthouses in France. According to Supersero, the message is unambiguous: “this is our last chance to be able to discuss with the State about a legislative change before the end of the 2027 presidential term.”

Supersero: “Take to the streets so that we are deigned to be listened to”

For Nicolas, “the strike is going rather well, apart from a few hypoglycemic episodes and a feeling of floating, it remains quite bearable.” The Nice activist revealed his satisfaction at seeing the enthusiasm around this strike, particularly with media interest and responses from certain political figures. “We are witnessing the opening of a gap to hope for legislative clarification,” he declared.

Solidarity is also manifesting in the streets. Throughout the day, groups of people are mobilizing to support the two activists in front of the Reims courthouse. A three-meter by two-meter sheet collects the insults directed at them daily on social media. Nicolas clarified that: “passersby react and this leads them to sign the petition” in the face of such a reality of violence.

The leadership of Sidaction and Aides, as well as LGBT and Trans community collectives, have lent their support to this movement. Nevertheless, the 37-year-old from Nice expressed his surprise at the lack of reaction from certain organizations: “we still see that, in the collective unconscious, people have not yet understood that **the fight against HIV does not only concern LGBT people**. The majority of people carrying the virus are not part of this community.”

Nicolas emphasized the sense of isolation among HIV-positive people: “we receive enormous requests from individuals in vulnerable situations and we find ourselves having to **manage suicidal crises**. It’s scandalous because **we are forced to do the work of the State and associations** when we too should be helped!”

The fight for recognition of serophobia

Nicolas Aragona and Christophe Paco are seeking legislative action in response to the threat posed by serophobia. Among numerous proposals, the two activists are calling for this scourge to be recognized as **an aggravating circumstance in cases of discrimination**. Supersero gave a straightforward assessment: “we can clearly see that it is not because of our health status that we are discriminated against but because **we are perceived as threats, as people who seek revenge and to contaminate**.” At the heart of the petition, the two men are demanding a **law dedicated to combating serophobia**.

Furthermore, the two strikers are also calling for **the establishment of awareness campaigns** in order to deconstruct prejudices. The objective of this mobilization is to **put an end to the social isolation** of people living with HIV. Informing people about the realities of victims of serophobia has become a necessity. Still marked by this episode, Nicolas recalled a traumatic experience: “I wrote to the prosecutor (of the Republic of Nice), I never received a response. I went to file a complaint with the municipal police and I was assaulted and insulted.”

Supersero and Christophe Paco remain determined to continue their struggle and say they are ready to renew the movement in the absence of a satisfactory political response. The gatherings in front of courthouses in France will be repeated every evening at 6 p.m., until September 2. On that date, the two activists will meet with Aurore Bergé, the Deputy Minister responsible for Combating Discrimination. The purpose of this meeting will be to address the daily reality of HIV-positive people.