Nilofer Merchant

By the time that Zach Wahls was about ten years old, he knew what it was to lie about himself. When another kid asked, “What do your mom and dad do?” his straightforward answer prompted teasing and taunting, as Zach’s parents are a same-sex couple. After the second and third time this happened, he learned to obfuscate, or change the topic, or, if need be, to out-and-out lie.