A truly courageous man during a horrible time in our history. I will always miss my friends, and my brother Frederich Siedelberg Walters (1959-1993). This generation seems to have no clue.
You are very perceptive. The world that exists before someone is born has little or no importance to them. In today's world we still have the great rift between those who are determined to destroy the status quo and those who will vehemently uphold it. Our politics is a sad reflection of that great divide. The centrist position is thought, by some, to be irrelevant.
Randy you are still flying high in the sky with all the wonderful friends who loved you so much from all over the world, if I ever get to go "above" I hope I meet you my sweet man. From a straight female!
I have read the book, “And The Band Played On”, every year since I got it from a friend in Cozumel, Mexico in 1991. We don’t have nor do we respect and appreciate true journalism. The world lost many gifted individuals from all walks of life, Randy Shilts is a much needed voice, yet sadly , is no longer with us. I hope to encounter someone with his courage and forth-site before I die.
Joseph, masterfully done. I did not know who this gentleman was until your vlog, but in 9 minutes you gave me a glimpse into this man's life, who rather than follow an agenda was principled and honest with himself in spite of consequences. I am interested in reading more about Mr. Shilts.
I was in nursing school just as the epidemic started going public. I graduated in 1985 and had my first AIDS patient 2 months later. People think covid was bad? That was a damned cake walk. I will never ever forget the sense of so much dread, despair, fear, so much sadness that seemed to linger over this entire nation. It was so heavy and hurt my heart so much. My first patient was literally shunned, an outcast, and scared shitless while so damned despondent and desperately needing someone to care enough to just touch him, his hand. Just if but for a minute. The fear, hurt, and uncertainty were etched all over his face and I see it all clearly still today. God how I wanted to do something, anything to see him just smile but he had nothing to smile about. I’m sure he died alone in some AIDS designated facility where no one even knew what to do, what was going on, how to cope themselves as they did their best to care for these modern day lepers. This movie is by far the best and most memorable film that so closely captures the general feeling or atmosphere we lived under during those scary, terrible years that saw many lose their lives, lovers, children, spouses, and friends far to soon and were treated so pathetically inhuman out of so much fear. Still, I revisit and watch this movie every few years because it reminds me of the way it was and allows me to remember the sorrow so deep and real just as it was. My way of never forgetting all those who unfortunately endured this atrocity and lost their lives striped of their dignity and humanity because the rest of us acted like spoiled children that dare not get their hands dirty. The music in this movie brings me to tears all the way thru and drives the memory back to my present consciousness and I remember. Bless Randy for such an honest, poignant, and heartfelt work of art because he did an absolutely fabulous job so we don’t forget those we lost
Very nicely done. Randy Shilts was an amazing writer. And the Band Played On and Conduct Unbecoming were fascinating books. It's unfortunate that he felt forced into the position of devil's advocate.
What really got to me was that Randy Shilts and his partner had made arrangements to be buried side-by-side. Then for whatever reason the partner was never buried there.
Edward Miessner I understand why you may feel that way...but Barry Barbieri is still alive. Also he was 24 when Randy passed...he was still very young. A lot of life has been lived in the 26 years since.
Thank you so much for this upload and wonderful information. There is a book coming out about Randy Shilts May 30th called Reporter Zero-FYI. Always admired him and his ability to write the truth in such time of chaos and adversity.
A beautiful tribute to Randy Shilts -- perhaps the first out gay journalist of prominence in the U.S. About the first 15 years of the AIDS epidemic were a horror, especially for the gay community. An often fatal illness with no effective cure! Young professionals, suddenly found their finances depleted, their bodies wasting away, and often families cut them off from contact. For others with low initial incomes, it was even worse. The lining of this very dark cloud was how many in the LGBTQ+ community rallied to support their stricken friends. AIDS also provided a powerful incentive for limiting number of sexual partners and for coupling up -- sometimes monogamous couples. A friend and his partner have been together 51 years! The general public also learned that many nationally prominent figures were also gay men. It was the image of a dying Rock Hudson that likely sparked the realization of the typical American that anyone might be gay -- movie star, newscaster, pastor, soldier etc. And what a wonderful person was Doris Day standing by her former co-star of Pillow Talk, a quarter century later. And now the world has a new pandemic that has already taken the lives of 5.5 million worldwide and 0.85 million in the US -- a toll about 25% greater in just two years than those lost to AIDS in the US since the early 1980s.
At times in the 60 Minutes interview (w/ Steve Kroft) Randy Shilts projected an otherworldly glow. His courage, honesty and intellectual brilliance lit up his besieged physical frame so that we saw someone inordinately possessed of qualities we wish we all had. He was an extraordinary human being. I encourage you to read his book "And the Band Played On." It is quite a document and story. RIP Randy Shilts (August 8, 1951 - February 17, 1994)
Randy Shilts was a real one and the American public lost a truly wonderful writer and reporter. What he did for LGBTQIA+ people in the 80's, though controversial at the time, was what was needed to scare the ever loving piss out of people and effect change. The world needs more people like Randy in it. Uncompromising in searching for and reporting the truth, regardless where the truth takes you.
Why is gaetan dugas being exonerated now? OK he was NOT patient o HE WAS O..AS JN... (out side California) but the man still was careless. A Canadian film maker has done a film regarding this.... but how can he be cleared when he bedded 300 men in a year? If anyone can make me understand in some polite way I'd appreciate it...
@Adrian Heath I'll add that, based on what I've read, Gaetan is often criticized for continuing to have (presumably unprotected) sex after he was diagnosed. I think it's fair to say that was wrong of him, but a lot of infected gay men at that time did the same thing. Many were in denial and refused to believe that the party was over. They convinced themselves that they were not contagious. There is actually footage available online of Gaetan Dugas speaking at a conference and insisting that the virus can't be spread through sex (which of course is completely erroneous but, again, he and a lot of others were passionately in denial.)
The thing that's messed up is that the lifesaving protese inhibitors were known to be effective in 1989 but so much fighting was going on, that they didn't get on the market until mid 90s so just think how many lives could have and would have been expanded and saved.
A strange connection I watched the movie because an actor, but I never noticed the writer (Randy Shilts). After I signed up Max, it came up on the list after I checked LGBT stuff and I watched again and I started to check Randy. I grew up in 80s and I knew "mysterious disease", but back then there's a lot of FUD and prejudice, but I learned it even I was young. It spreads with tainted cells in body fluid Skin touch doesn't transfer except there's open wounds Randy didn't have a family he hoped Karen Carpenter grave video brought me to watch this again. And The Band Played On is a good documentary if you have Max
