Dispatch from book tour

I won't bury the lede: The week and a half since my book came out has been an absolute dream!

Seeing my book on shelves in some of my favorite bookstores is an unbelievable feeling. But even more special is getting to fill those rooms with people I love from all corners of my life.

At every event, I've been bowled over by how many friends and family have come to support me. But there's one particular moment I want to tell you about.

During my D.C. event at Politics & Prose, I was shocked and delighted to see someone I hadn't heard from in about a decade. He and I volunteered together at the 2013 National Jamboree, as writers for the event publication. When I saw him in D.C. this week, he pulled me aside and recounted how, as an 18-year-old, I told him I wanted to write a book one day.

I have no memory of telling him this, but I believe him. And it was absolutely surreal to have him in the room, a decade later, to celebrate the realization of that long-held dream. I may have known as an 18-year-old that I wanted to write a book, but I certainly had no idea it would be this book.

Going out into the world with this story—a very queer story—has been immensely healing and satisfying for me. And I've heard the same thing at my events from folks who've already started reading: This is the book so many of us needed.

If you're not able to come see me in person, you can watch a recording of my event at Politics & Prose. Check it out below.

And here's a little sampling of recent press coverage of the book:

Boy Scouts’ troubled history, Siri goes AI, Philly’s sewage problem - WHYY

The century-old organization faces big problems and big changes - from financial struggles caused by a child-abuse scandal to more inclusive membership policies. We want to hear about your experience as a scout.

WHYYKyle Bagenstose

Overlooked Moments in LGBTQ+ History

These milestone moments are essential to understanding the history of queer liberation

TimeOlivia B. Waxman

A sobering lesson from the ban on gay Boy Scouts

In “Morally Straight,” journalist and former scout Mike De Socio writes about the dangers of scapegoating LGBTQ+ people in an age of rising “groomer” rhetoric.

The 19thKate Sosin

‎Troy Story: A Podcast for the Collar City: Chapter 06: Mike De Socio, Part 1 on Apple Podcasts

‎Show Troy Story: A Podcast for the Collar City, Ep Chapter 06: Mike De Socio, Part 1 - Jun 11, 2024

Apple Podcasts

The Boy Scouts’ moral panic all began with 2 queer teens in the 70s who refused to stay closeted - LGBTQ Nation

The boys spoke publicly against the discrimination they’d experienced. The problem was, it was legal.

LGBTQ NationMike De Socio

I can't wait to meet more of you during the second half of my book tour! The success of this book, for me, is not about sales numbers or reviews (though those things are nice). It's in the conversation's I've been having with readers. It's the deep healing this story has already done for so many. It's in the dignity this book gives to the Scouters who fought for LGBTQ+ equality.

I hope you'll join me in celebrating all of that.