LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus condemns hate crime, murder of gay man at gas station
LGBTQ Equality Caucus August 2, 2023 | 2:11 PM
HARRISBURG, Aug. 2 – The Pennsylvania LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus is condemning the murder of O’Shae Sibley, a 28-year-old gay man, in Brooklyn, NY, at a gas station late Saturday night.
According to reports, Sibley was with his friends, who were vogueing, a style of dance that has evolved as an expression of LGBTQ+ pride, while filling up a car. Sibley and his friends were approached by a group of men who told them to stop dancing and began using anti-gay slurs. Sibley confronted these men, and an altercation broke out leading to one man stabbing Sibley.
“O’Shae was brutally stolen from his family, friends and community for nothing but poisonous hatred. He deserved so much better than this. My thoughts and condolences go out to their family and friends during this unimaginably difficult time,” said LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus Co-Chair Malcolm Kenyatta, D-Phila.
“It’s an absolute shame that us LGBTQ+ folks can’t just be ourselves in public without having to worry about losing our lives because of someone else’s senseless hatred for us. We cannot become numb to tragedies like this. We must continue to combat all forms of discrimination and hateful rhetoric targeted at LGBTQ+ folks that is causing much of the attacks on our community.”
“Mr. Sibley’s murder was another senseless act of anti-LGBTQ+ bigotry, and my heart is breaking for his friends, family, and community,” said LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus Co-Chair Jessica Benham, D-Allegheny. “Hate crimes are happening all too often to LGBTQ+ individuals across our nation, in a concentrated effort by anti-LGBTQ+ bigots to silence us and remove us from society. We must fight back against these heinous acts and work to move closer to a safe, fair and equal society.”
Sibley was originally from PA, moving from Philadelphia to Brooklyn prior to the pandemic. He was a resident of Pennylvania's 181st Legislative District, which Kenyatta represents.
No arrests had been made, but the police said that the hate crimes unit was involved in the investigation. The police said Tuesday that they were seeking a young man in his late teens in connection with the killing.