Posted: Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Zach Wahls, a marriage equality advocate best known for his viral YouTube video, will speak at the University of Evansville next week.

Wahls will present “What Makes a Family?” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, February 19 in Eykamp Hall (Room 251 in the Ridgway University Center). His appearance, sponsored by UE’s Student Activities Board, is free and open to the public.

In January 2011, Wahls — then a 19-year-old University of Iowa engineering student — testified before the Iowa House Judiciary Committee in support of same-sex marriage. The son of two lesbian mothers, Wahls had no idea that his testimony would become an Internet sensation and earn him national recognition, including appearances on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” “The Late Show with David Letterman,” and “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”

To date, the video has garnered more than 17 million YouTube views, with millions more via Facebook, Twitter, national and international television, and other online media. Since his unexpected rise to fame, Wahls, an Eagle Scout and Iowa City resident, has written a book entitled My Two Moms and spoken at the 2012 Democratic National Convention. He now travels around the country to speak about his family and the struggle for LGBTQ rights.

Share this article: