Collection inventory

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Sir Lady Java Collection

An inventory of the collection at Syracuse University

Finding aid created by: RMH
Date: 12 Oct 2023

Revision history:

Biographical History

Sir Lady Java (b. 1943) is the first transgender individual to be defended by the ACLU, a fact still cited by the group as an example of their committment to the transgender community in promotional material. The case began when police shut down her act in 1967 at Red Foxx's club, using the infamous Rule 9, which outlawed shows in which a performer "impersonated" the opposite sex. Java responded by picketing the club, and solicited the help of the ACLU in a legal challenge. The case was dismissed on grounds that only club owners could sue. The unconstitutional rule was later struck down in a separate case in 1969.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Sir Lady Java Collection consists of printed promotional material for multiple performances on the west coast, such as Joe's Nairobi Lounge, Hustlers, Roy's Twenty Grand West, and The Baby Grand West. There is also a short biography and promotional photographs of Java, which she used in multiple performance flyers.

Arrangement of the Collection

The collection is arranged alphabetically.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Subject Headings

Persons

Sir Lady Java.

Subjects

African American transgender people.
Drag queens.
Entertainers -- California -- Los Angeles.
Transgender women.

Places

Los Angeles (Calif.)

Genres and Forms

Ephemera.
Flyers.
Photographs.

Occupations

Entertainers.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Sir Lady Java Collection,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Purchased, 2023

Poster transferred from the American Radical Ephemera Collection, 2023.

Table of Contents

Promotional material

Inventory