Andrea Gibson, the poet, activist and performance artist, died on July 14, 2025. They were 49 years old. Using the gender-neutral pronouns they/them/theirs, Andrea was known for their poetry about LGBTQ+ identity and politics. Their inner circle, including Andrea’s wife, Megan Falley, announced the news of their death in a heartfelt Instagram message, which began with a quote from the late poet: “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.”

“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,” the statement read. “Though Andrea desperately wished to have a longer life, they could not have possibly lived a fuller one.”

The writers behind the post, Meg and another person named Heather, added that they “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,” the announcement concluded. “In the end, their heart was covered in stretch marks.”

As celebrities and peers share tributes for Andrea, learn what led to their untimely death and more about their creative career below.

Andrea Gibson’s Most Famous Poems & Written Work

Among Andrea’s countless poems she wrote were “Living Proof” and “First Love,” and some of Andrea’s most recognizable books include Pole Dancing To Gospel Hymns, The Madness Vase and Pansy, Take Me With You and Lord of the Butterflies.

Andrea Gibson’s Cause of Death

Based on the social media statement from their family, Andrea died after a four-year battle with ovarian cancer.

“Since learning they had cancer in 2021, Andrea has been a champion of finding beauty in unlikely places and gratitude in the hardest hours,” Andrea’s family’s July 2025 Instagram statement read. “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 place was, ‘I loved my f**king life.’”

Andrea Gibson’s Health: Lyme Disease & Ovarian Cancer

Before being diagnosed with ovarian cancer, Andrea also lived with Chronic Lyme disease (CLD). Symptoms of Lyme disease typically include long-term pain, fatigue, neurocognitive and behavioral symptoms, according to the National Library of Medicine.

“As many of you may know I have Chronic Lyme Disease, which I have only in the last few years gained the courage to write and speak about publicly,” Andrea shared via Instagram in March 2021. In a video with their post, Andrea spoke with Dr. Daniel Kinderlehrer about the illness. The main posts of their conversation explored “why Lyme often goes undiagnosed, how a person can have Lyme without recalling a tick bite, why going to the doctor can be an especially painful experience for marginalized folks, and how trauma impacts the immune system,” Andrea wrote in their caption.

Less than six months later, Andrea was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. They fought the disease throughout the end of their life.