Beyoncé pays tribute to O’Shae Sibley.Photo:gofundme
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Beyoncépaid tribute to O’Shae Sibley afterhe was stabbed over the weekend. The New York City Police Department is investigating his death as a possible hate crime.
“REST IN POWER O’SHAE SIBLEY,” Beyoncé, 41, wrote onher official website.
On Saturday night, Sibley, 28, was killed at a Brooklyn gas station with friends. One of his friends, Otis Pena, filmed the night out for a Facebook Live post.
Sibley, a professional dancer, wasvoguing to a Beyoncé songand became the target of a vicious attack. In Pena’s footage, several men were seen approaching the group and began to shout gay slurs at them. The situation grew hostile, and Sibley was stabbed.
O’Shae Sibley.gofundme
The dancer was transported to Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn for stab wounds to his torso but was pronounced dead upon arrival.
“The incident is being investigated as a possible biased incident,” a spokesman for the New York City Police Department told PEOPLE. No arrests have been made.
“Heartbroken and enraged to learn about O’Shae Sibley’s death this weekend in New York. Despite homophobes' best efforts, gay joy is not crime," New York State Senator Brad Hoylman-Signal, who is openly gay,tweeted Monday. “Hate-fueled attacks are.”
On Tuesday, GLAADreleased a statementregarding Sibley’s death, calling attention to other issues plaguing the LGBTQ community. While calling Sibney’s death part of a “disturbing rise in violence and harassment,” the organization added that “this cannot continue.”
“No one should have to fear for their safety just for being themselves," GLAAD continued. “Politicians spewing lies and proposing policies filled with disinformation, and media repeating their false and dangerous rhetoric unchallenged, are creating an incredibly hostile environment that endangers all LGBTQ people and all queer people of color.”
Beyoncé has been a longtime advocate for the LGBTQ community. She dedicatedher albumRenaissanceto her Uncle Jonny, whom she affectionately dubbed her “godmother and the first person to expose me to a lot of the music and culture that serve as inspiration for this album.”
The album featured collaborations from queer artists including Ts Madison, Honey Dijon, Syd, Moi Renee, MikeQ, Kevin Aviance and Big Freedia. In March 2019, Beyoncé and her husbandJAY-Zwerehonored as LGBTQ Alliesat the 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards. At the time, the company’s President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis referred to the power couple as “global icons and passionate defenders of human rights and acceptance for all people.”
Anyone with information about Sibley’s death is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tipvia their websiteor via DM on Twitter,@NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.
source: people.com
