Kirkus Reviews wrote that "Shilts' interwoven account of the emergence of San Francisco as a gay mecca--and the accompanying rise in gays' political clout--is first-rate."[1]
In April 2007, Participant Media closed a deal with Warner Independent to turn the book into a film.[4] However, the film appears to have stalled in "development hell," as no further news about development, casting or production has emerged. The intended adaptation was unrelated to the Academy Award-winning fictional film about Harvey Milk's life, Milk, or to an earlier documentary, The Times of Harvey Milk.
In 2009, Audible.com produced an audio version of The Mayor of Castro Street, narrated by Marc Vietor, as part of its Modern Vanguard line of audiobooks.