The world of poetry and performance has lost one of its most luminous voices. Andrea Gibson, the celebrated queer spoken word poet and activist, passed away on July 14, 2025, surrounded by an intimate circle of loved ones at their home. They were 49 years old.
In a farewell that reflects the deeply human and heartfelt way they lived, Andrea was surrounded by their wife, Meg, four ex-girlfriends, their mother and father, dozens of friends, and their three beloved dogs—a scene that speaks to the magnitude of love, acceptance, and chosen family that defined Andrea’s life.
Born in Calais, Maine, Andrea rose to national acclaim in the early 2000s as one of the first openly genderqueer poets to break through in the spoken word scene. Their work, marked by raw honesty, disarming vulnerability, and lyrical brilliance, touched on everything from gender identity, mental health, political resistance, illness, love, heartbreak, and the beauty of simply being alive.
With a cadence that could cut to the bone or lift spirits to the sky, Andrea Gibson didn’t just read poems—they lived them. They turned stages into sacred spaces and audiences into family. For over two decades, Andrea used poetry not just as performance, but as protest, prayer, and presence.
They often said:
“Poetry is not a luxury. It is a way of survival.”
That survival, for Andrea, was personal. In 2021, they bravely announced a diagnosis of ovarian cancer, which they met with the same fierce vulnerability and transparency that defined their life and art. Through treatments, relapses, and reflection, they continued to write, share, and connect with their fans—never shying away from the truth, and always leading with love.
Andrea published several acclaimed poetry collections, including:
- Pole Dancing to Gospel Hymns
- The Madness Vase
- Take Me With You
- Lord of the Butterflies (which won the Independent Publisher’s Award for LGBTQ+ Nonfiction)
They also released multiple spoken word albums and sold out venues across the country with performances that defied genre and pierced the soul. Their poems were as likely to leave listeners in tears as in applause—often both.
Beyond the mic, Andrea was a beloved figure in the LGBTQ+ community, a beacon for those seeking understanding and visibility. They were unafraid to speak truth to power, but they did so with the gentle force of someone who had known both great pain and great joy.
They once wrote:
“You, the one reading this—you are a miracle. This world would not be the same without you.”
It is difficult now to read those words and not feel the magnitude of Andrea’s absence. Their passing is not only a loss to literature, but to a global community of people who found themselves seen and heard through Andrea’s work.
In a poetic twist befitting their spirit, Andrea chose to spend their final hours surrounded by radical love—a wife, exes turned soulmates, family of blood and bond, friends, and faithful dogs. It is said they laughed, cried, and held hands in a final celebration of connection.
The outpouring of grief online has been immense. Fans, friends, and fellow poets have shared stories of how Andrea’s work helped them come out, heal, survive depression, or believe in love again. The hashtag #ThankYouAndreaGibson is filled with quotes from their poems and messages of gratitude.
Andrea once wrote:
“I do not want to get to the end of my life and find that I just lived the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well.”
And they did. Andrea Gibson lived every inch of life—loudly, boldly, beautifully, and with fierce compassion.
They are survived by their wife, Meg, their loving parents, a family of friends and chosen kin, and thousands of fans whose lives they forever changed.
A public celebration of Andrea’s life is being planned, with details to be announced in the coming weeks. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to LGBTQ+ youth organizations, cancer research foundations, or local poetry centers—causes Andrea championed with passion.
May their words echo on.
May their love endure.
And may we all continue to live as Andrea lived: wide, wild, and unafraid.
Rest in power, Andrea Gibson.
You were, and always will be, a revolution wrapped in a poem.
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