Man Raised By Lesbians Opposes Minn. Amendment

MINNEAPOLIS (AP/WCCO) — An Iowa man raised by a lesbian couple says arguments against gay marriage ignore the realities of families like his.

Zach Wahls is campaigning against Minnesota's constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. On Thursday, he heads to Charlotte, N.C., where he'll speak to the Democratic National Convention.

The 21-year-old gained fame in the gay marriage movement in 2011 when he testified against a constitutional amendment to overturn legal gay marriage in Iowa. That amendment never made it on the ballot.

Supporters of Minnesota's amendment say it's important because opposite-sex parents are ideal for children. But Wahls says he never worried his family was less than normal until he was exposed to criticism from opponents of gay marriage.

He spoke Wednesday to opponents of Minnesota's amendment at a south Minneapolis park. He invited his listeners to imagine what it would be like for a child of a same-sex couple to grow up in a state that doesn't recognize the relationship of same-sex parents as a "real relationship."

"If this amendment passes…you will end a conversation," he said. "You will limit the freedom that these people have in deciding how to live their lives."

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