Sir Lady Java has been honored several times for her activist work, and in 2020, Anthony Hemingway announced that he planned to direct a biopic about the legendary activist, where she will be played by Pose star Hailie Sahar. Java plans to be heavily involved in the project and is also excited to work with Sahar, who "has a personal connection to the story, and as a trans actress, she's excited to get the opportunity to tell it."
According to Them, cisgender actors have often been cast as transgender characters, while transgender actors, when they're even able to get work, find themselves pigeon-holed into stereotyped caricatures. Sahar's casting is a hallmark moment for transgender actors and activists who have long been advocating for respectful representation.
As such, Java's story continues to inspire and advance the rights and liberties for the transgender community. And according to Java herself, "I feel it's necessary to tell [my story] because many of my brothers and sisters got killed in my time, so I don't care who doesn't watch, I'm gonna tell it."
Although the 1969 California Supreme Court ruling came during the same year as the Stonewall Riots, the story of Java's activism is largely unknown. But just as Marsha P. Johnson's story was once dismissed, as a transgender woman of color, Java's story and significance is slowly being accorded its rightful recognition.
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