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Not enough people know the story of Sir Lady Java. That's going to change.

A recently published historical zine documents the legacy of the pioneering Black trans artist.

​Sir Lady Java

Sir Lady Java

The Houghton Library of Harvard University Archives

Despite the fame and notoriety she experienced in her lifetime, not enough people today know about the trailblazing Black trans artist Sir Lady Java. Fortunately, thanks to a newly published zine by Fugitive Materials, you can learn a lot more about the dynamic star and activist.

In addition to buying and selling rare vintage books, periodicals, photographs, and various other historical ephemera that document “radical, lesser-known, and alternative histories,” Fugitive Materials also publishes its own books, zines, and catalogs — often inspired by the archival materials currently in its care. Its latest zine, Who Is Sir Lady Java? highlights the fascinating underground icon and her place in queer history.

The cover of the new zine Who Is Sir Lady Java? The cover of the new zine 'Who Is Sir Lady Java?'courtesy Fugitive Materials

A talented and trained dancer, Sir Lady Java branded herself a “female impersonator” professionally; however, she lived openly as a transgender woman in her personal life. Originally from New Orleans, she rose to prominence in L.A.’s Black nightlife scene during the 1960s and '70s. She performed on the same stages as legends like Redd Fox, Richard Pryor, Sammy Davis Jr., James Brown, Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, and Lena Horne. She starred (as herself) in the 1976 film The Human Tornado and appeared in numerous magazine articles and spreads, including in Jet, Ebony, Sepia, and The Advocate.

While regarded for her fabulous nightclub performances, Sir Lady Java was also an ahead-of-her-time activist. In 1967, police shut down her act at Redd Foxx’s club due to violating “Rule 9” — a local regulation banning performers from impersonating the opposite sex. The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) came to her defense, making her the first trans person ever represented by the organization.

Redd Foxx and Sir Lady Java outside his nightclub in Los Angeles 1967 Red Foxx hams it up with Sir Lady Java as she protests outside his nightclub in Los Angeles, 1967.Digital Transgender Archive

Sir Lady Java went on to live a long and storied life, and was beloved and revered by many in the LGBTQ+ community and beyond. She passed away in November of 2024 at the age of 82.

A physical copy of Who Is Sir Lady Java? can be purchased for $10 at Fugitive Materials.

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