Barna, Joseph T. and Heritage of Pride (HOP), New York, New York

This series contains documents, photographs, and personal ephemera produced and collected or produced by Joseph T. Barna (1949-2014), associated with his personal life and his position as board member of Heritage of Pride, New York, New York. Barna was born in Middlebury, Vermont and grew-up in Brandon, Vermont. His parents were teachers at Brandon High School and Otter Valley Union High School where Barna was a member of the debating team. While at Otter Valley he organized a group named The Stage Crew to assist with the lighting for dramatic productions. Barna graduated from Otter Valley Union High School in 1967. Barna graduated with a B.A. from Yale in 1971 and later went on to graduate with his M.F.A. from the Yale School of Dramatics in technical design and construction in 1981. He occasionally taught a course on electrics at Yale as well as working as a computer programmer and later as a lighting designer for theatrical and dance productions in Oregon, New York, New York, and the New York City area. He was adjunct faculty for the Institute of Design & Construction (IDC). He was an amateur historian of wooden roller coasters. Barna died 2014 June 8 at the Jersey City Medical Center, Jersey City from "a combination of illnesses." Barna's association with Heritage of Pride (HOP), the producing organization for the annual New York Pride Parade, began in the 1980s. He was one of HOP's leading photographers up until his death in 2014. Heritage of Pride (HOP) is the successor organization to the Christopher Street Liberation Day Committee. HOP is a non-proft orgainzation that plans, coordinates, and sponsors the annual Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride week in New York City commemorating the Stonewall riots of June 1969. The HOP archives are housed at The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, "The Center", in New York City. This series is divided into three subseries.