Beyoncé, Spike Lee pay tribute to O'Shae Sibley, stabbed while dancing: 'Rest in power'

Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY
·3 min read
61
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

The fatal stabbing of a gay man who was dancing to Beyoncé's "Renaissance" has outraged the LGBTQ community and spurred the Grammy winner herself to post a tribute.

Beyoncé honored him with a message on her official website's homepage, reading "Rest in Power O'Shae Sibley."

The singer released her critically acclaimed "Renaissance" album last summer, which celebrates ballroom culture and Black queer and trans trailblazers in the house and disco genres. Beyoncé dedicated the project to her late Uncle Johnny, who died from HIV complications and was the "most fabulous gay man I have ever known," the singer said in 2019 at the 30th GLAAD Media Awards.

Here's what we know so far about Sibley's death, which is being investigated as a potential hate crime:

Is it a hate crime? Gay NYC dancer fatally stabbed while voguing at gas station

Who is dancer O'Shae Sibley?

O'Shae Sibley, who was fatally stabbed at a Brooklyn gas station on July 29, 2023, was a 28-year-old professional dancer and choreographer.
O'Shae Sibley, who was fatally stabbed at a Brooklyn gas station on July 29, 2023, was a 28-year-old professional dancer and choreographer.

O'Shae Sibley was a 28-year-old professional dancer who moved from Philadelphia to New York shortly before the pandemic to pursue his dance career. He studied at Ailey Extension, the official dance studio of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Foundation, and had performed as part of an all-queer dance troupe at Lincoln Center.

Sibley used dance to celebrate his LGBTQ identity in works such as "Soft: A Love Letter to Black Queer Men," choreographed by Kemar Jewel. He was preparing to audition for "The Lion King," one of his favorite Broadway musicals, according to the New York Times.

Blood stains the sidewalk at the gas station where O'Shae Sibley was stabbed to death in the Brooklyn borough of New York.
Blood stains the sidewalk at the gas station where O'Shae Sibley was stabbed to death in the Brooklyn borough of New York.

What happened to O'Shae Sibley?

On July 29, Sibley was at a Mobil station in Brooklyn’s Midwood neighborhood with friends getting gas and voguing to Beyoncé – the same day the singer was performing on tour in nearby New Jersey.

Witnesses said that a group of men approached Sibley and told him to stop, according to NBC New York. Sibley tried to de-escalate the situation before being stabbed in the torso. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died.

"They murdered him because he was gay, because he stood up for his friends," Otis Pena, a close friend of Sibley's, said in a Facebook video posted hours after the stabbing. "His name was O'Shae and you all killed him. You all murdered him right in front of me.”

A witness, Summy Ullah, told the New York Daily News the young men had been harassing Sibley's group because their behavior offended them. He said someone asked, "Why are you dancing in your underwear?"

"They were saying, 'Oh, we're Muslim, so don't do this in front of me,'" said Ullah, 32. "Nothing else was going on. They were only dancing."

How have celebrities paid tribute to O'Shae Sibley?

"Star Trek" alum George Twitter shared a "Rest In Power" message on X (formerly known as Twitter). Oscar winner Spike Lee also honored Sibley with an Instagram tribute, writing, "Deadly gay hate crime here in Brooklyn. God bless you brother."

A "Justice for O'Shae Sibley" memorial is planned Friday at the Mobil station, and a vigil is planned on Saturday at Manhattan's LGBTQ Community Center. A celebration of life ceremony will take place Tuesday in Philadelphia.

Contributing: The Associated Press; Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Beyonce pays tribute to NYC dancer O'Shae Sibley after fatal stabbing