The world grew quieter in the early morning hours of July 14, 2025, as Andrea Gibson, award-winning spoken word poet, activist, and current Poet Laureate of Colorado, passed away peacefully at the age of 49. Surrounded by love—in the form of their wife Meg, four beloved ex-girlfriends who never left their side, their devoted parents, dozens of close friends, and their cherished dogs—Andrea’s final moments were a reflection of the life they lived: full of presence, heart, connection, and courage.
A singular force in modern poetry and LGBTQ+ advocacy, Andrea lived a life of bold authenticity. Their work touched millions. Their words—ferocious in truth, soft in tenderness—became lifelines for those navigating pain, identity, and the complexity of the human experience. From small-town beginnings in Calais, Maine, to standing ovations on international stages, Andrea forged a path that was never about fame—it was always about connection.
A Life Rooted in Purpose
In addition to being a seven-time published author and the subject of the award-winning documentary Come See Me in the Good Light, Andrea was a celebrated spoken word artist who broke the boundaries between art and activism. They were a champion for queer rights, mental health, chronic illness awareness, and anti-war advocacy. Their poems were protest signs and lullabies. They made space for grief and joy to coexist, for rage to hold hands with softness.
A high school basketball champion turned literary icon, Andrea’s range was as vast as their heart. Their ability to capture life’s rawest moments—falling in love, losing someone, confronting mortality—came not from observing at a distance, but from living fully, honestly, and bravely.
Living (and Dying) with Intention
Diagnosed with cancer in 2021, Andrea approached illness the same way they approached art: as a deep, transformative journey. They didn’t hide from death. They faced it with humor, grit, and remarkable grace. In their final years, Andrea became a lighthouse for others navigating grief and impermanence. Their Instagram updates, poetry readings, and public reflections offered a masterclass in how to live even as life slips away.
One of Andrea’s final statements, uttered not long before they left this world, was:
“I fucking loved my life.”
And if you knew Andrea—even through a poem, a performance, or a post—you believed them. They poured that love into everything: into strangers at shows, into dogs at rescue shelters, into quiet walks with Meg, into trembling, urgent lines scribbled on paper in the dark.
A Presence That Won’t Fade
Though Andrea Gibson has left this physical world, their presence lingers—amplified, not diminished. They once wrote in Love Letter from the Afterlife:
“I am more here than I ever was before. I am more with you than I ever could have imagined.”
That line now serves as a promise to all who mourn them. Their voice lives on in the ink of their books, in the recordings of their performances, in the people they loved, and in the lives they transformed with their truth.
They often said they hoped to leave this life with their heart stretched in every direction—proof of how much they had lived and loved. And they did. Their heart was full, their life was full, and they left no corner of their soul untouched by love or bravery.
Carrying the Flame Forward
Andrea’s loved ones—especially Meg and Heather, who penned this message—are still learning how to carry forward such a vibrant and expansive legacy. They know, however, that Andrea would want all of us to continue telling stories, fighting injustice, writing poems, holding each other tightly, and laughing through our tears.
To grieve Andrea is to celebrate Andrea—to sing, to cry, to show up for each other, and to never stop believing in the beauty of this wild, strange, heartbreaking life.
Andrea Gibson, you showed us how to live out loud, how to hold on and let go, how to bleed love into every corner of our lives.
Thank you. You were, and always will be, a miracle.
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