A University of Iowa engineering student who became a YouTube sensation with a speech defending gay marriage will bring his story to Pennsylvania College of Technology at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11.
Raised by a gay couple, Zach Wahls will offer his perspective of "What Makes a Family?" during a free, public lecture in the Klump Academic Center Auditorium. Wahls' videotaped testimony before the Iowa House Judiciary Committee in January was seen by millions of online viewers and resulted in appearances on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and MSNBC's "The Last Word With Lawrence O'Donnell," among others.
"I'm not so different from any of your children. My family really isn't so different from yours," he told the legislative committee during its consideration of an end to same-sex civil unions in Iowa. "After all, your family doesn't derive its sense of worth from being told by the state, "You're married, congratulations!' The sense of family comes from the commitment we make to each other to work through the hard times so we can enjoy the good ones. It comes from the love that binds us. That's what makes a family."
The event, in conjunction with National Coming Out Day and in support of the college's diversity initiatives, is sponsored by the Office of Student Activities.
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