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Andrea Gibson, Colorado Poet Laureate and LGBTQ Advocate, Dies at 49

Their four-year ovarian cancer fight ended Monday, prompting widespread grief months before a documentary chronicling their journey is set to premiere this fall

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Colorado poet Andrea Gibson passed away at the age of 49.
Andrea Gibson, Colorado’s ninth poet laureate, right, reads aloud one of two poems during a small gathering in their honor on the terrace at Chautauqua Auditorium in Boulder on Sept. 6, 2023. Gibson — a queer activist, author and four-time Denver Grand Slam poetry champion — writes about the LGBTQ community, spirituality, feminism, mental health and gun reform, among other topics. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)

Overview

  • Gibson passed away on July 14 in their Boulder home surrounded by their wife, family, friends and dogs after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer in August 2021.
  • Governor Jared Polis and artists from across the country paid tribute to Gibson’s candid work and dedication to promoting arts in education during their tenure.
  • Appointed in September 2023 as Colorado’s tenth poet laureate, Gibson launched statewide programs to bring spoken-word poetry into schools, libraries and community centers.
  • An openly non-binary performer, they published seven collections and won multiple slam championships, using their platform to reshape public conversations on gender, grief and social justice.
  • “Come See Me in the Good Light,” the Sundance-featured documentary that follows Gibson’s battle with cancer and creative partnership with their wife, is scheduled to debut on Apple TV+ this fall.