Daddy and Papa post by. Ryland Hormel

           The Documentary “Daddy and Papa” was a film that tackled many issues within one topic.  It explored race, sexuality and the ethics behind raising a child.  Being from San Francisco I am surprised I had never seen the film before.   I really enjoyed how the film looked at different examples of gay men raising a child with both a partner and alone.  It is hard to imagine someone who would not be touched by this film, but the sad truth is that some people would view this film as outright wrong.  This just shows the amount of bravery these men have in order to go beyond the norms of society and take on an issue that is not only driven by love but also the idea that everyone deserves the same opportunity. 

This film shows that gay men are absolutely capable of raising a child.  The amount of love that they had towards there children is exactly the amount of love you would expect from a parent.  I keep thinking about what Oscar’s grandfather said about there is a way that the court does it and there is a right way to do it.  Without these men, who knows what these children’s life would have ended up like.  I found the issue of race to be such an important factor in this film.  I am really glad they approached this issue and not only showed the struggle of gay men have creating a family, but also the struggle black children have at getting adopted. 

The only part I wish the film explored more of is the acquisitions of these men being pedophiles.  I see this issue being one of the main underlying issues at hand.  It is so easy for people to look at a gay father as a pedophile, and I wish they opened up the issue of how to get past this.  My Grandfather is a politician and is also gay.  There have been times in his career he has been accused of being a pedophile simply because he is gay.  I find this so wrong and I think this is one of the main obstacles gay men have to overcome to becoming a father.  “Daddy and Papa” was a film I truly enjoyed.  It is amazing what these men have done, and it is great to see how such a controversial thing can bring two people from completely different backgrounds together.