There are common milestones in millennial queer coming-of-age: watching “The L Word” with the remote firmly planted in your hand in case your parents walk in, jamming out in your bedroom to Tegan and Sara, and the moment you discover Andrea Gibson’s poetry and cry your eyes out.
When I first heard Andrea Gibson’s work, I was a sophomore in college. I didn’t have friends that were as nerdy and queer as me, so I went to their reading by myself. I sat in the last row and quietly sobbed for the entirety of their performance. I felt every word. Andrea performs with such sincerity, such intensity, but also with such vulnerability and softness. I will never forget them closing with their poem “Maybe I Need You” and how every line left me breathless. See for yourself, but make sure you have some tissues in hand.
What Do You Think?