VOGUE As An Act of Resistance!
Approximately one week ago on Sunday, July 29th, a 28-year-old black, queer, professional dancer by the name of O’Shae Sibley was stabbed to death in Midwood, Brooklyn. Sibley was simply dancing with his friends to Beyonce’s “Renaissance” album, which pays homage to the queer community (namely her late Uncle Johnny who sewed her costumes at the beginning of her career) with songs reminiscent of classic house and Vogue tunes from the latter half of the 20th century. While some of the members of the “community” were not necessarily able to attend the tour that happened at the packed Met Life stadium in East Ridgewood, New Jersey miles away, groups of friends who celebrated the artist’s queer-affirming music certainly took it upon themselves to host their own “Renaissance”-themed parties wherever they could, dancing gleefully to the music which instills pride to members of the LGBTQIA+ community. This is not a new ordeal. Evidenced by the 1980 film “Paris is Burning” and the real lives of the Vogue community, it is customary for “houses” to convene wherever they can to rehearse their dance moves and bask in BIPOQ queer and trans joy. However, in this unfortunate instance, a mob of homophobic friends approached Sibley and one of them eventually ended his life in a fit of racism and rage. This senseless murder has sparked outrage across the globe within many pockets of the LGBTQIA community. Even Beyonce herself posted tributes for O’Shae on her site and mentioned him as part of her set at the Renaissance World Tour.
28-year-Old O’SHAE SIBLEY Who Was Murdered Last Week in Brooklyn, New York
Ironically, this instance and the subsequent gathering of the community as a result of this hate crime has occurred during a period within my personal life where I’ve wanted to become more active in a cause greater than myself: specifically within the realm of queer activism and support. The year 2023 marks exactly 10 years since my fall freshmen enrollment at North Carolina A&T State University, where I joined the “Couture Productions” modeling troupe. While a modeling troupe is not technically a “house,” I auditioned for the troupe and joined it as an extension of the fashion shows I organized while in high school and the friends of mine who loved to “model walk” while together, dancing to Azealia Banks, Kevin Jz Prodigy (who is featured in the Renaissance World Tour), and Vjuan Allure. Having freshly left my childhood home, I searched for the community in Greensboro, NC (my home away from home for the next six years) and found it with the modeling troupes.
We had weekly practices to brush up on our steps for performances at major events like the Homecoming fashion show and moved eerily similar to a classically defined “house” with nicknames based on our unique personalities, convening outside of classes at campus apartments, wore each other’s clothes, and adopted a faux family calling more senior members of the troupe as our “uncle,” “aunty,” “mother,” and “father.” I was immersed in modeling troupes, even if it stood in the way of my academic involvement: missing classes and eventually ending up on academic suspension. The world of VOGUE (magazines & ballroom) and Couture consumed me: fueling purchases I couldn’t afford with my refund check, sharpening my dance skills, and giving me the confidence I needed to march through A&T’s campus to runway beats such as Armand Van Helden’s “The Witch Doctor,” and Vjuan Allure’s “Diva Runway.” To my 18-year-old liberated and unhinged self, I found a feeling of community on my campus which gave me the confidence to lift my head high despite whatever the outside world deemed unacceptable for black males. Reflecting on the camaraderie that I experienced almost a decade ago: it became clear how much of a striking blow this murder was to the community at large.
The Scene outside the LGBTQ Center after O’SHAE SIBLEY’s Memorial Service
Earlier this year I attended the LATEX Ball at 54th Street with the exact friend from college that I attended Couture practices with, my first real ball after some strange ego-driven distance from the ballroom community as I put all of my energy into deep research and effort into my fashion career. Somewhere in between that exact ball, Beyonce’s Renaissance era, missing the 2023 PRIDE parade, and this horrific ordeal with a man who is my exact age, race, sexuality, and demographic: something was sparked within me to do something to stay more engaged within the community. Although I was unable to attend the protest “ball” which happened at the exact Coney Island gas station where Sibley was stabbed on Friday, I did attend O’Shae’s memorial service yesterday at the LGBTQIA Center in the West Village. There, his friends and family all wore orange (which I assume to be Sibley’s favorite color) and spoke highly of his light which permeated through to all who knew him. It was a deeply moving ceremony, and as I entered the arena where his memorial service was held I felt literal goosebumps. After a video montage of happy moments with friends and family singing Adele and dancing to Vogue music, dozens of friends and supporters all took orange balloons and long white tapered candles and began to march down to the Chelsea Piers. As we chanted “OSHAE” and “SIBLEY” from the top of our lungs harmoniously: reporters, photographers, and videographers from major news outlets including ABC 7 followed us as we garnered attention from nearby onlookers and outside restaurant attendees who looked on inquisitively.
An Image of O’SHEA SIBLEY held by a Leader of the Ballroom “Vogue” Protest
This was unusual for me (marching), but it was a cause and a community that I knew all too well and that drew close to my heart. Once we finally settled onto the pier, we still chanted “OOOO-SHEA!….O’SHEA O’SHEA!” as tea light candles were placed on the ground which spelled out his first name, along with an array of orange flowers, fake blood, and taller lit candles: all surrounded by an enormous portrait of O’Shae wearing a shirt with the text “Let Me Be Great!” Then, to further commemorate his legacy as a Vogue dancer, a circle formed within the park on the grass, a huge speaker began to blast Kevin JZ Prodigy, a few began to chant rhythmically, and members of the community all debuted one by one onto the circle to Vogue in the name of O’Shea. I felt supreme joy being a part of this, and I could feel O’Shea “gagging” down from heaven as we all danced and clapped on his behalf. I couldn’t help but think that this feeling of community is a huge underlying reason why I moved to New York City in the first place.
A Vogue Dancer Strikes a Pose at the Chelsea Piers as Supporters Gather and Chant!
Toward the end of the night as the sun set, a gigantic PRIDE flag waved to and from as huge white paper lanterns were burned and carried with the wind, and we all continued to watch as the dancer's runway walked and vogued in this classic form of black and brown queer creative expression. I will never forget this sense of community. For me, belonging to this extravaganza was much more fulfilling than inquiring about a pair of Manolo Blahnik heels and whether or not they go with a Dior dress. While I am all for self-expression, it was made clear how fulfilling it is to bask in it as part of the community. O’Shae Sibley’s life mattered, and he certainly didn’t deserve to go out in the way that he did. I know he is smiling down from heaven at the gathering of our community to celebrate his life, and I am happy that I have been reunited with the LGBTQIA+ community in a way that is impactful. The teen involved in the stabbing of Sibley has been arrested, which means justice has been served. To O’Shea: the ballroom panel from the ethers has administered TENS across the board for your legendary life.