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Shilts struggles to overcome obstacles from being an openly gay reporter as his job at KQED officially comes to an end. Jobless again with no prospects in view, Shilts falls into a hole of drinking and marijuana use. Going back to freelance writing jobs to survive, Shilts’s coverage of the assassination of Milk and Moscone draws the attention of New York City editors who ask him to write up a proposal for a biography of Milk. Shilts undertakes well-researched and positively reviewed book on Milk’s life. Shilts’s work on the Milk bio also takes in important aspects of the growing gay community in San Francisco. Shilts embraces a “new journalism” writing style he admires from novelist James Michener.

Shilts and book editor Michael Denneny make controversial decisions about how to get And the Band Played On properly promoted and reviewed. The New York Post’s screaming headline about “Patient Zero” sets in motion worldwide publicity for the concept that one man, Gaetan Dugas, was responsible for spreading AIDS in North America. Shilts’s review of Dr. William Darrow’s cluster study of gay men in Los Angeles proves faulty, although mainstream journalism quickly goes with the “Patient Zero” concept and Shilts is quickly cast as a national expert on HIV-AIDS. Shilts unveils his “AIDS was allowed to happen” posit. A subsequent review of Shilts’s work is mostly critical, particularly from LGBT sources who fault Shilts for allegedly scapegoating Dugas.

Shilts turns his attention to the struggle for gays and lesbians to remain in active duty for the U.S. military. Shilts highlights the struggles of Edward Modesto, Leonard Matlovich and Margarethe Cammermeyer (among others) amidst gay purges. Shilts examines efforts to repeal the gay ban in the run-up to the Persian Gulf War. Shilts traces the history of the ban military ban to include the heart-breaking story of Thomas Dooley. The issue of outing is explored with Shilts in opposition to more radical opinions that closeted persons (especially those in positions of power) should be outed. Writing process for “Conduct Unbecoming” is explored as Shilts battles life-threatening health episodes as his HIV status advances to an AIDS diagnosis.

Shilts makes the decision to publicly disclose for the first time that he is HIV positive. Shilts’s growing health struggles come quickly as he is then diagnosed as having AIDS. Shilts views as problematic the focus on his HIV status rather than the release of his new book, “Conduct Unbecoming.” Shilts has to limit his book tour to media interviews due to his declining health. The veracity with which Shilts answered earlier questions about his HIV status is explored; along with the ethics of what level of personal disclosure, gay men (or reporters) owe others. “Conduct Unbecoming” becomes a central part of the gay military ban discussion as movie rights to “And the Band Played On” are sold to HBO.