President Barack Obama supports my
moms' marriage and Mitt Romney does not, Zach Wahls said in his
Democratic National Convention (DNC) speech on Thursday.
The 21-year-old Wahls came to
prominence defending his two-mom family at an Iowa House hearing
considering a proposed measure which would repeal the state's gay
marriage law by defining marriage as a heterosexual union in the Iowa
Constitution. A video of Wahls' testimony attracted more than 18.3
million views to become the most-watched video in 2011.
Wahls told delegates that Obama, who
came out for gay marriage in May, supports gay families such as his.
“President Obama understands that.
He supports my moms' marriage. President Obama put his political
future on the line to do what was right. Without his leadership, we
wouldn't be here. President Obama is fighting for our families, all
of our families. He has our backs. We have his,” Wahls said.
Wahls went on to criticize Obama's GOP
rival, Mitt Romney, who supports amending the U.S. Constitution to
define marriage as a heterosexual union.
“Governor Romney says he's against
same-sex marriage because every child deserves a mother and a father.
I think every child deserves a family as loving and committed as
mine. Because 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.”
“Mr. Romney, my family is just as
real as yours,” Wahls added.