Celebrities

Comic Alec Mapa Talks About His ‘Baby,’ Screening Saturday

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The star of "Baby Daddy," Alec Mapa, center, with husband Jamison Hebert and Outfest Executive Director Kirsten Schaffer.

The star of “Baby Daddy,” Alec Mapa, center, with husband Jamison Hebert and Outfest Executive Director Kirsten Schaffer at Fusion launch party.

One of WeHo’s favorite emcees and stand-up comics stars in a film of his own, the docu-comedy “Baby Daddy,” screening Saturday night at the Egyptian Theatre, as part of the Outfest Fusion LGBT People of Color Film Festival. “Blackbird” opens the festival on Friday.

The vivacious Broadway, film and television actor talked about “Baby Daddy” at the Fusion launch party, held last week at Rockwell on Vermont. “It’s a solo show that I’ve been performing around the country about how my husband and I became parents of the foster-adopt system here in Los Angeles.

“I really feel like with LGBT families is where homophobia goes to die,” says the doting father.

Mapa and Jamie Hebert, together a dozen years but legally hitched in 2008, adopted a 5-year-old African-American boy from Compton. The film is a stand-up special with documentary footage that explores how that family was formed and “how our lives have gone on since then,” says Mapa.

“It’s really timely right now because the political argument against marriage equality is always about how we’re harmful to children, or that gay marriage is not beneficial to children. I kind of did this special because if you discriminate against children having a safe, loving home, you’ve already lost your argument.”

Zion, now 9, is in the third grade and already a veteran of West Hollywood Pride.

“My kid loves being in the parade,” says Mapa, a popular parade emcee in recent years.

“He watched the parade last year and I said, ‘How did you like it?’ He said, ‘I liked it better when I was in it.’ ”

Perhaps there’s another performer in the family?

“Baby Daddy” screens at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, March 15, at the Egyptian Theatre. “Blackbird” opens the Fusion festival on Friday at 7:30 p.m. For other Fusion screenings see outfest.org.

Journalist Laurie Schenden covers the entertainment industry, with many of her notable celebrity interviews appearing in the Los Angeles Times and other national and international publications. As a longtime columnist and feature writer for the LA Times, she also covered events and California destinations for the lifestyle, Outdoors and Travel sections. Laurie Schenden's international pieces include the long-running Where Are They Now celebrity feature for Spotlight Magazine, published in five languages. Laurie has also contributed to numerous documentary films, and produces content via Saving Grace Films.

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