My two moms : lessons of love, strength, and what makes a family / by Zach Wahls ; with Bruce Littlefield.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

A resounding testament to individuality and the power of family in all forms from the young man who "lit up the Internet" (Ellen DeGeneres)

On January 31, 2011, Zach Wahls addressed the Iowa House Judiciary Committee in a public forum regarding full marriage equality. The nineteen-year-old son of a same-sex couple, Wahls proudly proclaimed, "The sexual orientation of my parents has had zero effect on the content of my character." Hours later, his speech was posted on YouTube, where it went viral, quickly receiving more than two million views. By the end of the week, everyone knew his name and wanted to hear more from the boy with two moms.

Same-sex marriage will be a major--possibly the defining--issue in this year's election cycle, and Wahls speaks to that, but also to a broader issue.  Sure, he's handsome and athletic, an environmental engineering student, and an Eagle Scout. Yet, growing up with two moms, he knows what it's like to feel different and to fear being made fun of or worse. In the inspirational spirit of It Gets Better edited by Dan Savage and Terry Miller, My Two Moms also delivers a reassuring message to same-sex couples, their kids, and anyone who's ever felt like an outsider: "You are not alone."

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Publishers Weekly Review

In 2011, Wahls, a 19-year-old Eagle Scout and engineering student, stood before the Iowa House Judiciary Committee on civil unions and declared that "the sexual orientation of my parents has had zero effect on the content of my character." Here, Wahls follows up on what would become a viral video of his testimony with this memoir and written defense of his moms. Wahls considers a different value in each chapter (following those espoused by the Boy Scout motto, law, oath, and slogan), including obedience, kindness, reverence, helpfulness, loyalty, thriftiness, and bravery, and tells what he has learned through situations he's encountered with family and friends regarding his nontraditional family. "I'm not gay, but I know how it feels to be in the closet," he writes of his sometimes veiled responses when asked as a child about his father. Wahls reflects on bullies and bullying, family values, Unitarian-Universalism (of which he is an adherent), the impact of chronic disease on the family (one of his moms has MS), and the reality of a marriage between women. Wahls has a fresh voice, and while still relatively young, his evenhandedness and willingness to use his own experiences to address larger social issues is admirable and will likely appeal to all walks of life. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Kirkus Book Review

With the assistance of Littlefield (co-author: The Truth Advantage: The 7 Keys to a Happy and Fulfilling Life, 2011, etc.), Wahls writes about growing up as the son of gay parents in the heartland. In January 2011, the author, then a student at the University of Iowa, testified before the Iowa House Judiciary Committee as they considered a state constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. In a short speech, Wahls talked about being raised by two lesbians and how his childhood was no different than those of children raised by heterosexual couples. The speech was aimed at dismantling the myth that kids are damaged by having gay parents, and it was effective: The YouTube video of the speech was viewed more than 18 million times, and Wahls appeared on national TV talk shows, including The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Here the author expands on his speech, discussing the values that his parents helped to instill in him, naming chapters after aspects of the Boy Scout law: "Trustworthy," "Courteous," "Reverent." (Wahls takes pride in his scouting experience, repeatedly mentioning that he is an Eagle Scout, but he disagrees with the Boy Scouts of America's official policy banning gays from leadership positions.) Some of the author's stories are quite moving--particularly those addressing his mother Terry's multiple sclerosis--but many of Wahls' epiphanies are unsurprising: "We are more alike than we are different"; "hate has no hope of ever erasing hate"; etc. The book works best when there's more levity amidst the earnestness, as when the author humorously answers questions he's asked most frequently (e.g., "Which one of your moms is the man?"). Few minds will be changed by this book--it seems unlikely that a homophobe would read something titled My Two Moms--but Wahls' heart is in the right place. A sincere first effort that aims to chip away at stereotypes surrounding same-sex parents.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.