A Heartfelt Loss in Poetry and Advocacy
Andrea Gibson, a Poet of Love, Hope and Gender Identity, Dies at 49 today, on July 14, 2025, at their home in Longmont (near Boulder), Colorado. Surrounded by their devoted wife, Megan Falley, family, friends, ex-partners, and their three cherished dogs, Gibson passed after a courageous four-year battle with terminal ovarian cancer . Gibson was 49 years old, born on August 13, 1975, in Calais, Maine—an artist whose pen and voice resonated with communities worldwide.
From the very first paragraph, we honor and affirm: Andrea Gibson, a Poet of Love, Hope and Gender Identity, Dies at 49—a creative titan of our age, blending raw honesty with universal tenderness.
Who Was Andrea Gibson?
Born Andrea Faye Gibson on August 13, 1975, in Calais, Maine, they were raised in a working‑class Baptist family forreadingaddicts.co.uk+15Wikipedia+15People.com+15. Their father, Mark Gibson, worked at the post office, and their mother, Shirley Gibson, served as a college secretary Wikipedia. As a teen, Gibson played basketball and later attended Saint Joseph’s College of Maine on scholarship before relocating to Boulder, Colorado, in 1999 The Indian Express+15Wikipedia+15Wikipedia+15.
Embracing the pronouns they/them, Gibson identified as genderqueer—a position reflecting both personal authenticity and a broader push against binary norms. They famously wrote, “I don’t necessarily identify within a gender binary … I feel somewhere on that spectrum that’s not landing on either side” Wikipedia.
Besides poetry, Gibson’s civilian activism featured prominently. They performed with Vox Feminista, addressing gun violence, and supported Power to the Patients Wikipedia+1forreadingaddicts.co.uk+1. Their influence was not only emotional but political, quivering through society’s deep currents.
The Rise of a Spoken‑Word Trailblazer
Gibson emerged in the early 2000s as a powerhouse in the slam and spoken‑word renaissance. Their raw stage presence, despite stage fright, struck a chord nationwide Wikipedia+13ABC News+13AP News+13ABC7 Chicago+14Wikipedia+14The Washington Post+14. They claimed multiple slam titles, including the Denver Grand Slam Championship on four occasions, and won the Women of the World Poetry Slam in 2008 People.com+3Wikipedia+3Wikipedia+3.
Their transition from grassroots venues like Denver’s Mercury Café to major stages illustrated their magnetic appeal Wikipedia. Gibson toured tirelessly—crossing college campuses and art festivals—sharing intimate, electrifying work that bridged gender identity, love, and personal struggle.
Poetic Works & Albums
Their literary and musical catalog reflects a rich spectrum:
Poetry Collections
- Pole Dancing To Gospel Hymns (2008)
- The Madness Vase (2012)
- Pansy (2015)
- Take Me With You (2018)
- Lord of the Butterflies (2018)
- How Poetry Can Change Your Heart (2019)
- You Better Be Lightning (2021) AP Newsajc+11Wikipedia+11People.com+11
Spoken‑Word Albums
- Bullets and Windchimes (2003)
- Swarm (2004)
- When the Bough Breaks (2006)
- Yellowbird (2009)
- Flower Boy (2011)
- Truce (2013)
- Hey Galaxy (2018) Wikipedia+2Wikipedia+2Wikipedia+2
Gibson’s poems often spoke directly to love, hope, queerness, gender identity, justice, and the fine threads of human existence. A recurring theme was embracing vulnerability: “stage fright,” panic, and fear are not avoidances but doorways to strength. In their poem Ode to the Public Panic Attack, Gibson describes:
You find me at the coffee shop, … To step towards the terror … That is the bravest thing I have ever done in my life.
These lines underline Gibson’s lasting impact as someone who turned private struggle into collective understanding.
A Life of Love, Loss, and Triumph
In August 2022, Gibson became engaged to longtime partner Megan Falley. Their enduring bond was celebrated publicly in moments of love and hardship ABC News+10Wikipedia+10ajc+10. But in 2021, Gibson was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. What followed was not retreat, but transformation: they continued writing, performing, and living fully.
A documentary entitled Come See Me in the Good Light, directed by Ryan White, followed Gibson and Megan through Gibson’s illness-angle. Premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, it earned the highly regarded Festival Favorite Award ABC News+15People.com+15PBS+15. Gibson also co-wrote a song, Salt Then Sour Then Sweet, alongside Sara Bareilles and Brandi Carlile People.com+12Wikipedia+12forreadingaddicts.co.uk+12.
Gibson wrote enduring pieces during their final years, including How the Worst Day of My Life Became My Best, a testament to transmutation through pain. And in December 2023, they released Love Letter from the Afterlife—a lyrical embrace of presence beyond death:
Dying is the opposite of leaving … I am more here than I ever was before TownAndCountryToday.com+12The Indian Express+12AP News+12.
These final works reclaimed the narrative of their life and death, offering solace and spiritual resonance to those left behind.
Honors & Community Impact
In September 2023, Colorado Governor Jared Polis named Gibson Poet Laureate of Colorado, a fitting culmination for a life dedicated to poetry, community, arts advocacy, and education The Washington Post+4Wikipedia+4People.com+4.
The local and global response has been overwhelming. Tributes poured in from fellow poets, LGBTQ+ leaders, educators, and fans. Many credited Gibson’s words with being life‑saving—particularly those navigating gender identity, terminal illness, or personal grief ABC7 Chicago+6PBS+6AP News+6.
Comedian and friend Tig Notaro shared how Gibson’s final days were a blend of excruciating vulnerability and transcendent connection, reflecting the truth-and-emotion superpowers Gibson carried throughout their life AP News.
The Full Circle: Love, Hope, Gender Identity
The tapestry of Gibson’s legacy is woven from threads of love, hope, community, and gender identity. They held their truth with grace, brought marginalized voices into public spaces, and refused to let fear structure their life.
The headline reads, Andrea Gibson, a Poet of Love, Hope and Gender Identity, Dies at 49—but their impact expands beyond an obituary. Their poetry transcended genre; their activism transcended identity; and their compassion transcended mortality.
Why This Matters Now
- LGBTQ+ Representation
Gibson’s unapologetic exploration of queerness and gender identity created a path for others to follow—inside and outside the poetry world. By sharing their journey, Gibson normalized non-binary identity and rendered it visible. - Spoken‑Word Revival
As a major voice in the early 2000s slam movement, Gibson helped bring spoken word from underground cafes to mainstream platforms—broadening the genre’s reach and legitimacy. - Grace Under Pressure
Facing a terminal diagnosis, Gibson actively wrote and connected with an audience. They taught us that love and presence, not absence, define the final chapters of life. - Cultural Healing
Through poems like Love Letter from the Afterlife, Gibson offered a spiritual balm for grief, bridging the living and the departed through words imbued with comfort and affirmation.
Continuing the Work
To honor Gibson’s spirit and message:
- Read their Collections: Dive into You Better Be Lightning, Lord of the Butterflies, and Take Me With You.
- Support Spoken‑Word Artists: Engage with local open mics, buy albums, or read from the Write Bloody Publishing catalogue.
- Watch the Documentary: Come See Me in the Good Light will stream on Apple TV+ this fall.
- Uplift Queer Voices: Share Gibson-centric quotes or poems online and within community spaces.
A Final Tribute
On July 14, 2025, Andrea Gibson, a Poet of Love, Hope and Gender Identity, Dies at 49—but their spirit refuses to fade. In the echo of each stanza, the warmth of each embrace, we find that Gibson did not “lose some battle”; they won, every time a heart cracked open to love and truth.
Megan Falley wrote:
“Andrea Gibson accomplished much … Though Andrea desperately wished to have lived a longer life, they could not have possibly lived a fuller one.”
And we feel that fullness too—because their poetry taught us to feel, to resist, to heal, and to hope.
