Kayla Dudley may describe herself in humble and quiet terms, but the scope of her story reaches far beyond the basics.
A poet, activist, and mentor born and raised in New York City, Kayla moves through the world with care that’s deeply personal and deeply collective. At just 24 years old, she’s already learned how to use her voice to both express herself and make intentional space for others, especially those often erased or forgotten. Her work advocates for lesbian visibility, honors those who came before her, and rises up for who will come next.
Last fall, she brought that same commitment to Lambda Legal’s All Rise campaign, sharing her story as part of the broader fight for LGBTQ+ visibility and justice.
Poetry as Voice, Identity, and Activism
What originally began as a tool to process grief evolved into something larger — poetry is now simultaneously art, identity, and a channel for activism.
“As I started understanding who I am, my identity started to flow into my poems,” Kayla explains to Lambda Legal. “That helped me be more unapologetic. In my poems, I’m like, ‘Let’s stir the pot. Let’s talk about what people don’t want to talk about.’”
That instinct — to name the unspoken — is what has helped transform her poetry into direct activism. And it’s led to meaningful change and action, including at her own school.
“At my college, the Women’s Center was being taken away. A friend asked me to write a poem for the town hall pushing back against the center’s closure,” recalls Kayla. “I wrote it, and I remember reading it aloud — I started crying, my voice was cracking, and then everyone in the room started crying, too. After I finished, people were applauding.”
In her moving poem, titled “A Room of Our Own”, Kayla writes:
“We need spaces,
not just to survive,
but to breathe,
to exhale the weight of a thousand ‘shoulds.’”
Spaces where the mirrors reflect
not what we’re supposed to be,
but what we already are — enough.”
Four months after the emotional town hall meeting, the Women’s Center was reopened. “And I was like, wow, OK — I think I did something there.”
Lesbian Visibility and the Power of Representation
For Kayla, living visibly and proudly as a Black lesbian is an everyday act of resistance. “I think just showing that we’re here, that we’re gonna be here forever. That we’ve been here forever.”
Visibility is also something she recognizes as a privilege, gift, and responsibility, passed onto her by what she calls her “creative angels.”
“Some of the artists and writers I learned about — they were lesbians and they hid that. I don’t have to now, and I feel like I’m living through them. Nikki Giovanni, Audre Lorde, and June Jordan. Those are my top three… my creative angels.”
Adds Kayla, “Their resilience — writing about what they felt, making sure you heard their voice. That’s what inspires me. I love Audre Lorde’s line, ‘Your silence will not protect you.’ That sticks with me.”
That refusal of silence is central to Kayla’s visibility today, and what she hopes to convey to those around her and those who will follow her example.
“Lesbians are not monolithic people. I’m a Black lesbian woman. I have different aesthetics, the way I dress, the way I move.”
This is a stark contrast to what she grew up seeing in the world around her and in the media. “I didn’t really see lesbian representation until middle school: two Black lesbians in my school. That was the first time I saw myself and thought, ‘OK, I’m not crazy.’ In the media, it was harder…it was mostly white lesbians. I wanted to see Black love.”
Rising for Freedom and Equality
Through her poetry, and in her everyday life, Kayla pushes to be free — free to be her authentic self, free to take up space, free to be heard. She won’t accept anything less.
“If you’re not going to respect who I am, I don’t understand what the difference is. Through the years, I’ve just become more unapologetic.”
This goes for her current long-term relationship, too. Kayla won’t let anyone dictate how she and her partner live and love. “You shouldn’t have a say in who I love. This is not your body. This is not your life. This is my own.”
Kayla wants this same energy extended to others like her. And she understands the role she plays in making this a reality — that, much like her “creative angels”, she has the power to rise up, speak out, and impact generations.
“First and foremost, I’m rising for myself. And then of course I’m rising for the youth, the people who are coming after me, the people who were before me… making sure that everything they fought for is still being fought for.”
“I’m rising for everybody — everybody that just wants to live, wants to be themselves, wants to be free. I think we’re too focused on trying to be equal. We need to be free.”
In that distinction, between equality and freedom, lies the heart of Kayla’s story. Through her poetry and her presence, she is not just participating in that vision — she is helping to write it.
Lambda Legal lifts up vital stories like Kayla’s during Lesbian Visibility Week, but also every single day. For more, check out our blog highlighting some of the brave lesbian plaintiffs who have made history in the courts alongside us.
Join our All Rise campaign by donating today.