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The Military's Inconsistent Policies on Openly Gay Service Members

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.

16:47
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Other segments from the episode on January 28, 1991

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, January 28, 1991: Interview with Robert Cullen; Interview with Randy Shilts; Commentary on nationality and colonialism.
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22:37

Soviet Policies Place a Strain on U.S. Relations

Journalist Robert Cullen covers the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. He joins Fresh Air to talk about recent crackdowns on rights in the U.S.S.R. and advances in the Baltic Republics. Cullen is currently working on a book about the Soviet empire.

Interview
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04:02

How a Single Letter Defines Western Perceptions of the East

Linguist Geoffrey Nunberg comments on the way English speakers use the suffix "e" and "i" to lump together most nationalities in the Middle East (Kuwati, Iraqi...). He says the practice has its roots in the 19th and 20th century colonial period, and says a lot about how we view people in that region.

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23:05

How the Military Has Purged Gay Personnel

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.

Interview
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18:37

A Reporter on the AIDS Beat

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.

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27:40

Investigating the AIDS Crisis.

Randy Shilts, author of And the Band Played On - Politics, People and the AIDS Epidemic, a controversial book that reveals the identity of the first person to the bring AIDS to the United States. The book also raises questions about the government's response to the crisis.

Interview

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