Funeral held for O'Shae Sibley, professional dancer killed in hate crime

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- O'Shae Sibley was making a name for himself as a professional dancer in New York, but his farewell was in his hometown of Philadelphia.

As Sibley's death continues to draw attention to hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community, his loved ones gathered to say goodbye.

The funeral service was held Tuesday morning at The Met on North Broad Street. The program handed out to attendees called the event "The Grand Finale of O'Shae Leon 'Sage' Sibley."

"He was going to go far. He was an amazing dancer and an even better friend," said D'Angelo Cameron, who met Sibley as a teenager.

Sibley was killed in an attack on the night of July 29 in Brooklyn. He and his friends had been dancing at a gas station. Surveillance video shows them voguing and smiling while pumping gas.

Investigators say a group started yelling homophobic slurs to the group telling them to stop dancing. According to an ABC News report referencing a criminal complaint, a "confidential witness ... did hear that defendant and the defendant's associates use homophobic slurs towards a group of approximately five men and state, in sum and substance, 'stop dancing here, we are Muslim, get that get s--- out of here.'"

A few minutes later, there was a physical altercation, and Sibley was stabbed.

The primary suspect, a 17-year-old, has now been charged with second-degree murder as a hate crime.

The attack has garnered worldwide attention, including from superstar Beyoncé, who posted a tribute to Sibley on her website.

The message at Sibley's funeral pushed back against that hate.

"God is not a God of hatred. He's a God of love," said Bishop Bernard Brown, who delivered the eulogy at the service.

Hundreds of people attended Tuesday's service at The Met as the City of Philadelphia issued a proclamation in his honor.

Mourners heard from Sibley's first dance teacher, Karen Still Pendergrass, as well as Otis Peña, who was close friends with Sibley as the two lived in New York.

"O'Shae was a beacon of light for a lot of us in our community," said Peña.

Sibley's family occupied the front rows of the crowd, many of them dressed in blue and white. Some of them wore t-shirts bearing Sibley's name and face.

"Without him, it's like the night without the moon. I feel kind of lost, hurt," said his sister Dezirah Kelly as she stood outside after the service.

Philadanco! performed a dance in honor of the 28-year-old. The dance company is where Sibley perfected his technique before moving on to New York City. Philadanco! created a GoFund Me to help his family. The company has also created a scholarship in his name.

"I think something good will come out of it," said Philadanco! Founder Joan Meyers Brown, "because so many more young men will know, it's ok to dance."

Representatives with the New York District Attorney's office attended the funeral in Philadelphia. They did not comment on the case, but told Action News they were present to offer support to Sibley's family.

"It's just a tragedy," said Sibley's father, Jake Kelly. "I want to thank everyone who came out to show love and support."

Loved ones say they prefer to remember not the darkness of Sibley's death, but the light of his life.

"I want everybody to remember that in those dark times, there is always light," said Peña as he spoke to mourners, "and that one light that everyone here feels is O'Shae."