From Punchline to Pride: An Ohio class on the history of Queer
In an interview with The Buckeye Flame, a publication that amplifies the voices of LGBTQ+ Ohioans to support community and civic empowerment, UC adjunct professor Nicholas Belperio describes the impact of a class he teaches titled “Queer TV.”
“I think it’s important to document how we have arrived at the incredible place we are now where we have documentaries and series based on queer characters. I thought it would be great to trace how we got here,” Belperio said of his syllabus that includes showing early portrayals of Queer characters on television, often in a negative light, to positive modern portrayals.
Belperio told The Flame that the class has become more than he envisioned, as it “challenges assumptions” students might have about topics such as the AIDS epidemic of the 80s.
Per the article, Belperio emphasized that he wanted to present this course “not only from a historical perspective but also from a human perspective, so his students could also see not just the pathologies they’ve heard about but also the joys of living a Queer existence.”
Before moving to Cincinnati, Belperio had a successful career in television in Los Angeles, where he worked in various capacities in the profession as a writer, producer and senior vice president of marketing.
He teaches in the UC College of Arts and Sciences in the School of Communication, Film, and Media Studies.
Featured image at top courtesy of iStockPhoto/AlecLMX.
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