Andrea Gibson's Latest Spoken Word Poem Will Change The Way You Think About Gender

"Our experience of gender is so influenced by language. When you're writing you're creating all this new language around something. The listener gets to experience gender in a new way."

Gibson, who grew up not feeling quite like a girl or a boy, subtly defines what it means to be genderqueer with visual snippets within the poem. For example, with the line, "You're happiest on the road when you're not here or there, but in between." This particular line came to Gibson while constantly touring the country this past year.

"I remember when someone handed me the word genderqueer. I had never heard that word before. I heard that word and then I knew myself better. That's what writing can do," they explained. "It can make us know ourselves better, and know others better."

"I love the idea of tearing up some of the boxes that we are told we are supposed to fit in," they said. "I love the idea of young, queer people and seeing something that resonates with them. Something that makes their lives more possible."

Gibson described having a "ring of keys moment" (a Fun Home reference, for those not familiar) at the age of eight after they saw a woman with very short hair. "Before I saw her, I didn't know that a person like her could exist. I didn't know that you could look like her, or be like her. As soon as I saw her, my whole world expanded."

This piece, Gibson hopes, will become a similar moment for other queer youth. The power of words and visibility feels more important now than ever to the poet following the election of President Trump.

"I don't think people's minds change very easily, but I think their hearts can change in an instant. That's the value of poetry and spoken word art. Changing people's hearts so their minds follow suit."