Last December, Zach Wahls was still writing his now-published book when a video of his powerful testimony went viral.
Zach Wahls, an engineering student at the University of Iowa, is the son of a lesbian couple. An Eagle Scout and Iowa Champion debater, he is the recipient of the Paul Mann Youth Activist Award and the “Ally for Equality Award” from the Human Rights Campaign. His January 2011 testimony before the Iowa House of Representatives—in which he proclaimed, “The sexual orientation of my parents has had zero effect on my character”—has become an Internet sensation, with his videos being watched millions of times. He has appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell, and other media outlets. Zach is the author of My Two Moms, published by Gotham Books, an imprint of Penguin Group, USA. He lives in Iowa City, Iowa.