Remembering the "Mayor of Castro Street"

Journalist Randy Shilts is the national correspondent for the San Francisco Chronicle. His book, "And the Band Played On," was one of the earliest written about the AIDS epidemic and it's impact on the gay community. Shilts' new book is about gay life in the military, called "Conduct Unbecoming." He started the it in 1988, before the current debate about gays in the military.

Journalist Randy Shilts wrote the controversial book on the handling of the AIDS crisis, "And the Band Played On." He joins Fresh Air to discuss the legal troubles gays and lesbians in the military face. Shilts says the provision against gays serving in the military has been ignored now that the U.S. is engaged in war, and that these service members potentially face court martial when they return.

Journalist Randy Shilts just returned from the latest International AIDS Conference in San Francisco. He says there is a revitalized push for the development of new drug treatments and a vaccine. Yet there have been protests against the volunteer-based model of AIDS outreach and treatment. After eight years, Shilts plans to stop reporting on the disease.