The dance form that 28-year-old Brooklyn dancer O’Shae Sibley engaged in moments before getting stabbed to death is called vogueing. Sibley, a gay Black man, was out with his friends enjoying free-spirited dance moves to Beyoncé’s Rennaisance while filling their vehicles at a gas station on Midwood’s Coney Island Avenue on Saturday, July 29.
Shortly after, a group of white men approached them and told them to stop dancing. One of them allegedly told Sibley and his friends that he was a Muslim and that their dancing offended his faith.
For the uninitiated, Vogueing, a dance form originating in the 1970s, is mainly associated with the Black gay community.
O’Shae Sibley, a choreographer, was a 28-year-old gay man who was vogueing to Beyonce in Brooklyn while filling up his car at a gas station when a group of men confronted him and stabbed him to death because they found him ‘offensive.’ May he rest in power.🏳️pic.twitter.com/oxFLnLfhXs
O’Shae Sibley confronted the man and was about to leave when a physical altercation broke out between the two. The dancer was then stabbed by the same man and was rushed to a hospital where he succumbed to his injury.
Although authorities are yet to confirm whether Sibley was attacked because he was gay, netizens have been assertively calling O’Shae Sibley’s death an anti-gay hate crime. The case is under investigation as footage from the gas station went viral and the police are now seeking a 17-year-old suspect in connection to Sibley’s shocking death.
O’Shea Sibley’s name will be said every day until the suspect is {{arrested and harshly charged for this HATE CRIME.
It’s a shame even still LGTBQIA+ cannot be comfortable in our own skin and in our own space without fearing for our lives.
R.I.P.
I’m so sorry this happened… pic.twitter.com/KocRXc15xf
Origins of Vogueing explored as dancer O’Shae Sibley’s death sparks outrage among netizens
Vogueing is a dance movement that emerged in the 1970s and 1980s in Harlem among the predominantly gay community of Black men. At the time, countless queer youth were either being ostracized by their families or getting thrown out of their houses.
They started assembling on the streets of New York’s Harlem and were taken in by Drag queens, who were in charge of unofficial homes for such kids. The houses were named after these Drag queens.
In those houses, young gay men were free to express their true selves and explore their preferences. They often subverted the notions of femininity and masculinity which oppressed them in the past.
The community often held balls where the members would compete in a highly stylized catwalk battle, which was judged based on the participants’ looks, costumes, and ability to dance.
Vogueing, as a dance form was born during these dance-offs. These dance battles were non-violent and exuded femininity and elegance.
O’Shae Sibley, who was a choreographer as well, was said to always dance outside with his peers. Beckenbaur Hamilton, a close friend of Sibley recalled the events of Saturday, saying:
“They were dancing. They were filling up on gas, but they were voguing, doing crazy, I can promise you. I wasn’t there, but I can tell you just from what I saw that’s just how they are. He comes out here and stops the music and just starts dancing and voguing and carrying on.”
Hamilton added that O’Shae Sibley was popular for his dance moves.
In 2016, I got to choreograph a piece that O’Shae Sibley was a part of. He had such a gentle soul, was so hardworking, and just a great energy to be around. The news of his murder is quite jarring. And all because a group of men didn’t like his dancing. it’s painful. RIP O’Shae🕊️ pic.twitter.com/LvoUKlAOTs
One of Sibley’s neighbors also recalled him dancing in the neighborhood.
A member of the dance studio where O’Shae Sibley used to practice said that he showcased incredible energy while dancing and was loved by fellow students as well as instructors.
O’Shae Sibley’s death sparks hate crime outrage online
New York Police has announced that O’Shae Sibley’s death has been referred to the hate crimes unit, which will determine if the circumstances around his death fit the criteria to be labeled a hate crime. However, netizens are convinced that Sibley was stabbed because he was gay.
Several people called out the h*mophobia and bigotry that are still prevalent in New York City. Mayor Eric Adams also took to Twitter to speak against the crime.
Internet erupts in outrage and calls Sibley’s death a hate crime. (Image via Twitter/@NYCMayor)
Internet erupts in outrage and calls Sibley’s death a hate crime. (Image via Twitter/@housingworks)
Internet erupts in outrage and calls Sibley’s death a hate crime. (Image via Twitter/@MartiGCummings)
Internet erupts in outrage and calls Sibley’s death a hate crime. (Image via Twitter/@safecampdore)
Internet erupts in outrage and calls Sibley’s death a hate crime. (Image via Twitter/@andreharris89)
Internet erupts in outrage and calls Sibley’s death a hate crime. (Image via Twitter/@wkyle73)
Internet erupts in outrage and calls Sibley’s death a hate crime. (Image via Twitter/@DrFrankRoberts)
Internet erupts in outrage and calls Sibley’s death a hate crime. (Image via Twitter/@BeyLegion)
Internet erupts in outrage and calls O’Shae Sibley’s death a hate crime. (Image via Twitter/@lee_fontaine)
New York City’s mayor Eric Adams addressed the overall crime in the city on Monday, July 31, and cited improvements in public safety. He also referred to O’Shae Sibley’s death as a hate crime and said that they would find the suspect.
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Source: newstars.edu.vn