Sir Lady Java wasn't just a trailblazer; she was my second mother. Like so many trans girls, I saw myself reflected in her strength, grace, and unapologetic authenticity. For a young trans girl ...

Sir Lady Java, a pioneering transgender performer and activist, died Saturday at 82 following a stroke, close friends said.

Sir Lady Java, who died this month at the age of 82, brought groundbreaking suit against the LAPD in the 1960s.

At first, it was lonely being Sir Lady Java. She was a drag singer, an actress, an erotic dancer and a stage-patter comedian in mid-1960s Los Angeles before there was much of an open gay, lesbian ...