Twenty-one year old University of Iowa student Zach Wahls was a typical college student when he delivered a speech at an Iowa public hearing seeking to ban gay marriage. However, he was catapulted to fame when a three minute YouTube video of the speech went viral. Wahls recently came to UNCW to talk about his speech and what it was like being raised by gay parents.

“Standing up for yourself can be kind of tough while growing up, and even more so when growing up as the kid with two gay parents,” said Wahls.

Wahls was born and raised in Marshfield, Wisconsin with his biological mother Terry, an internal medicine physician, and his younger sister, who shares the same sperm donor and parents. Terry met Jackie, Wahls’ other mother, in 1995. The two shared a commitment ceremony a year later. When he was nine years old he and his family moved to Iowa City, Iowa.

“When I heard we were moving I was super excited,” Wahls said. “I was in the fourth grade, and I couldn’t wait, until I realized all my friends wouldn’t be moving with us.”

He explained how, at that age, kids already had their set cliques and he wasn’t able to get into any of them, especially after they found out about his parents. So, ultimately, elementary school was filled with remarks of “You have two moms? That’s weird.”

“When I was about to enter middle school I thought things had to get easier,” Wahls said. “It’s middle school, people are more mature, right? Yeah, wrong. Words such as “fag” and “queer” were being used on an everyday basis, and I soon found myself using those very same words.”

On the first day of high school, Wahls heard someone yell “Hey faggot, get over here,” and from that point on, he decided he didn’t want anything to do with the “cool kids” anymore.

While in high school, he began writing columns for the school newspaper, and one article in particular caused him to be recognized. In his article, he came out to the whole school about his parents for the first time, and he wrote about how words are more powerful than people think.

After this piece was published, Wahls was invited to testify in the Iowa public hearing. Without his knowing, someone videotaped his speech and posted it to YouTube.

“It was the day after the hearing, and it was a snow day, so I was ready to relax, play some video games, and get caught up on some homework,” said Wahls.

When he logged on to his computer he had over 500 emails and 400 notifications on his Facebook page all regarding the hearing. When he checked his phone, 12 missed calls flashed on the screen, each from a different media outlet.

Wahls appeared on CNN, MSNBC, Good Morning America and the Ellen DeGeneres Show, along with a few other talk shows.

“I couldn’t believe how viral this all went,” said Wahls.

In the fall of 2011 he wrote a book titled “My Two Moms: Lessons of Love, Strength, and What Makes a Family,” which was published in April 2012.

Wahls ended his speech with a shocking story about Terry.

Years ago, she was diagnosed with MS or Multiple Sclerosis, an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. One day, the pain was so immense she needed to be rushed to the hospital. Jackie was extremely worried but determined to get her there safely and quickly. Once they arrived, however, the doctor asked Jackie to stay in the waiting room and refused to acknowledge the fact that they were a couple.

“Why marriage?” asked Wahls. “Why use that word? I’ll tell you why, because how many people in this room would be willing to trade in their ring and their title of ‘married’ for ‘domestic relationship’ or ‘civil union,'” he said, and when no one raised their hand he finished off with, “That’s what I thought.”