The Iowa student who made national headlines for his impassioned speech to Iowa legislators on same-sex marriage will take his activism to a national level according to reports at The Huffington Post. Zach Wahls, whose YouTube video went viral as the most-watched political clip in 2011, will serve as c-chair for “The Outspoken Generation,” the Family Equality Council’s national youth advocacy initiative that aims to advocate for adult children of LGBT parents. Ella Robinson, daughter of openly-gay Bishop Gene Robinson, will also co-join Wahls in his role.
“A family is a group of people who love each other,” says Wahls. “If you’re willing to put in the blood, sweat, toil and tears…if you’re willing to make the commitment and demonstrate the love that it takes to successfully raise a young, healthy, well-rounded adult…who you are is so much less important than what you do.”
“We are now seeing the first generation of children, who were lovingly raised by LGBT parents, coming into young adulthood,” said Family Equality Council Executive Director Jennifer Chrisler. “We know, from our conversations with these young people and from our experience with them, that they are terrific kids who are thriving and succeeding in life by any measure you choose to use. Many of them are now telling us that they are eager to tell the truth about their families. Who better to refute the myths and lies of hate groups like [National Organization for Marriage] than our grown up children?”
Wahls, whose new book, “My Two Moms,” will be released later this month, will assume his new role this spring.
