O'Shea Sibley To Be Celebrated, Laid To Rest Next Week In Philly Area

PHILADELPHIA — After a Philadelphia dancer was fatally stabbed in New York City last week in an apparent hate crime, several celebrations of his life are planned in and around Philadelphia.

O'Shae Sibley, 28, was fatally stabbed late Saturday in Midwood, Brooklyn in what police are investigating as a potential hate crime, as Sibley was a gay man.

Sibley, a Philadelphia native, will have homegoing services Aug. 8 in and around Philadelphia.

A viewing will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at The Met Philadelphia on Aug. 8.

Immediately following the viewing will be a celebration of life, also at The Met, 858 N. Broad St. in Philadelphia.

Sibley will be laid to rest at 2 p.m. in Fernwood Cemetery, 6501 E. Baltimore Ave. in Lansdowne.

The events will be live-streamed on Facebook online here.

Sibley studied at Philadanco starting at 14 years old, according to the group.

He was also in Philadanco's apprentice company D/2.

"This news is absolutely heartbreaking and we believe no one deserves to be targeted for simply being themselves and living in their truth," the dance company said. "We are keeping high hopes that Justice will be served. He will be missed dearly. We ask that you also keep his Family and loved ones in your Prayers."

The Philadelphia District Attorney’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee said Sibley's killing was "violent" and "unjust."

"We are outraged by reports that O’Shae’s expression of Black joy and pride through movement to Beyoncé’s music last Saturday night in Brooklyn so enraged a group of bigoted men that at least one of them felt entitled to violently extinguish O’Shae’s light," the committee said. "At a time when queer people are being targeted via social isolation, disinformation, and violence by extremist politicians across the country, we consider hate directed at any one of us to be an assault on every one of us."