Rising HIV-positive advocate Otis Harris to be featured in MTV AIDS special

Otis Harris, whom we profiled in Dallas Voice recently for his involvement in the Greater Than AIDS campaign, will be featured in I’m Positive, a World AIDS Day special on MTV on Dec. 1

Harris has been featured on billboards and DART buses and in local print media ads as part of the Greater Than AIDS, which addresses the disproportionate number of new HIV cases in the black community.

In our story, Harris talked about how hard it was to tell his father but how his father stuck by him.

Here’s what MTV says about Harris:

As the oldest child in a large, close-knit family, Otis feels like he has to set an example for his younger siblings. That’s why it was hard for him to tell his family he is HIV positive, after having just come out as gay the year before. Currently, Otis is in a serious relationship with his boyfriend, Kanjhe, and they are both committed to making sure that he stays HIV negative.

“He’s one of three people selected nationally, and the only man,” said publicist Robbyn Kistler, who originally got us in touch with Harris. “There’s some incredible footage! He’s a rising figure among young positive spokespeople. A treasure!”