Audre Lorde , in full Audre Geraldine Lorde, also called Gamba Adisa or Rey Domini (born Feb. 18, 1934, New York, N.Y., U.S.—died Nov. 17, 1992, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands), African American poet, essayist, and autobiographer known for her passionate writings on lesbian feminism and racial