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Andrea Gibson passed away on July 14, 2025, at their home in Boulder, Colorado, at the age of 49. Gibson was a renowned American poet, LGBTQIA+ activist, and a performance artist who used they/ them/ theirs gender-neutral pronouns. They died after battling ovarian cancer for over four years.
The news of their demise was announced via a joint post on Instagram by their wife, Megan Falley, and close friend Stef Willen on Monday.
“Andrea Gibson died in their home (in Boulder, Colorado) surrounded by their wife, Meg, four ex-girlfriends, their mother and father, dozens of friends, and their three beloved dogs. Andrea would want you to know that they got their wish. In the end, their heart was covered in stretch marks,” the statement reads in part.
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In the wake of Gibson’s death, tributes began pouring in from fans and followers online:
“Andrea Gibson’s poetry is one of the few things that kept me together when everything felt meaningless. The world lost a beautiful spirit today, and everyone should take the time to read their poetry if they haven’t already,” a fan wrote.
“300,000 years of human history. How lucky we are to have lived in the same 49 as Andrea Gibson,” another fan wrote.
“Andrea Gibson wrote words that impacted my life, my heart, and my very way of being many times over. May they rest in peace,” an admirer wrote.
Others continued to mourn the poet and pay their respects.
“Andrea Gibson - poet laureate of Colorado, an incredible human with a beautiful spirit, a visionary, a queer trailblazer - died today from cancer. Andrea was one of the first poets I ever read/heard spoken word from. The world is dimmer today. Rest in poetry, & thank you,” another admirer wrote.
“Andrea Gibson meant so much to me, and their words are some of the only things I held onto before, during, and after my nervous breakdown when I was 18 and I’d just listen to them over and over and over. Rip,” a netizen wrote.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis took to X on Monday and paid his tribute to Gibson, calling them “truly one of a kind.”
“It is with a heavy heart that we mourn the loss of @andreagibson, an inspiring poet and Colorado’s current Poet Laureate. Renowned for inspiring poetry, advocacy for arts in education, and a unique ability to connect with the vast and diverse poetry lovers of Colorado, Andrea was truly one of a kind…” Polis wrote.
His post contained an image of him and Andrea alongside a quote from the deceased about growth and compassion. Colorado Governor added that Gibson “will be deeply missed by personal friends as well as all who were touched by their poetry.” He also paid his condolences to the late poet’s “loved ones during this difficult time.”
All you need to know about Andrea Gibson
Andrea Gibson was born on August 13, 1975, and grew up in Calais, Maine, with their younger sister, Laura. Raised in a Baptist home, Andrea studied creative writing at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine before moving to New Orleans with a girlfriend. They came out as queer at age 20.
Andrea later settled in Boulder, Colorado, where they lived for the rest of their life. Inspired by an open mic night in Denver, they pursued spoken word poetry and went on to publish several books, including Pole Dancing to Gospel Hymns, The Madness Vase, Pansy, Take Me With You, and Lord of the Butterflies.
Their other notable poems include, The Moon is a Kite, You Better Be Lightning, Swing Set, Andrew, Hey Galaxy, and more, where Gibson reflected on topics such as gender norms and identities, politics, and social justice. Andrea also released albums that incorporated the spoken word with music. These include Yellowbird, Flower Boy, and Truce.
Andrea Gibson recognized Sonya Renee Taylor, Derrick Brown, Anis Mojgani, Patricia Smith, and Mary Oliver as their inspirations. They were the four-time Denver Grand Slam Champions as well as the 2008 Women of the World Poetry Slam winner.
The Colorado poet laureate (since September 2023) was also an LGBTQIA+ advocate who founded the queer support website, Stay Here With Me, in 2013. They worked with Take Back the Night activist groups and Vox Feminista.
Gibson earlier shared that they were diagnosed with Chronic Lyme Disease. In August 2021, they announced that they were suffering from ovarian cancer. A year later, Andrea had to cancel their tour. It relapsed in May 2023, and Andrea talked about it in the We Can Do Hard Things podcast.
A documentary titled, Come See Me in the Good Light, was made by Ryan White and revolves around the life, career, and cancer journey of the late poet. It is slated to release on Apple TV+ in the fall of 2025 and won the Festival Film Favorite Award at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. The documentary includes an original song called Salt Then Sour Then Sweet, co-written by Gibson, and executive producers Sara Bareilles and Brandi Carlile.
Andrea Gibson’s illness inspired several poems about life, death, mortality, grief, and depression, including, How the Worst Day of My Life Became the Best (2021) and Love Letter from the Afterlife (2025).
Comedian Tig Notaro, an executive producer on the documentary and Gibson’s friend of 25 years, Oscar-winning actress Ariana DeBose of the West Side Story fame, and longtime fan, Linda Williams Stay, were among hundreds and thousands of others who paid their tributes.
