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Poet and performance artist Andrea Gibson has died. They were 49.
Gibson, who used they/them pronouns, had been the Poet Laureate of Colorado since 2023.
Their death was announced in a statement on Instagram that began with a quote of theirs: “Whenever I leave this world, whether it’s 60 years from now, I wouldn’t want anyone to say I lost some battle. I’ll be a winner that day.”
The statement continued: “Andrea Gibson was a winner today. On July 14th, at 4:16am, Andrea Gibson died in their home surrounded by their wife, Meg, four ex-girlfriends, their mother and father, dozens of friends and their three beloved dogs.”
Gibson was born in Calais, Maine, on August 13, 1975. They published their first collection of poetry, Pole Dancing To Gospel Hymns, in 2008. Much of their work dealt with gender identity, social justice and LGBTQ+ issues.
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In 2021, Gibson was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The cancer reoccured the following year, causing them to cancel a planned tour. The 2025 documentary Come See Me in the Good Light followed Gibson and their wife Megan Falley as Gibson underwent chemotherapy.
The statement announcing their death described Gibson as: “Poet Laureate of Colorado, world-touring spoken word artist, author of seven books, Calais Maine High School State Basketball Champion, and subject of the award-winning documentary, Come See Me in the Good Light, and so much more.”
It continued: “Andrea Gibson accomplished much on their 49 years on this planet. Though Andrea desperately wished to have lived a longer life, they could not have possibly lived a fuller one. Since learning they had cancer in 2021, Andrea has been a champion of finding beauty in unlikely places and gratitude in the hardest hours. Over the last four years, they danced with their diagnosis, and continually aimed their internal compass toward joy.
“One of the last things Andrea said on this plane was, ‘I f***ing loved my life.’ Not long ago, Andrea wrote a poem titled ‘Love Letter From the Afterlife.’ In it, they offered this line: ‘I am more here than I ever was before. I am more with you than I ever could have imagined.’
“Today, and all days forward, we hope you feel Andrea’s enormous spirit and immense presence beside you. Meg and Heather, the authors of this post, have absolutely no idea how to encapsulate the magnitude and magnificence of a life like Andrea Gibson’s, so they intend to keep writing, to keep telling Andrea’s story, to keep Andrea alive in every way they can.
“Andrea would want you to know that they got their wish. In the end, their heart was covered in stretch marks.”
In his own statement, Colorado’s Governor Jared Polis wrote: “It is with a heavy heart that we mourn the loss of Andrea Gibson, 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 and will be deeply missed by personal friends as well as all who were touched by their poetry.
“My thoughts go out to Andrea’s loved ones during this difficult time.”
