O'Shae Sibley—a Black queer man—was recently murdered while dancing to a Beyoncé song at a gas station in Brooklyn.
He was voguing—a form of expression that has always been a form of spiritual connection for the Black queer community. His life ended when a group of men shouted homophobic slurs and claimed that the dancing violated their religion.
As a Black queer minister, I am heartbroken that people would use faith to claim the life of one of God's treasured beings. I'm also painfully aware that travesties like these have been supercharged by a surge of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and legislation.
America prides itself on being a nation that celebrates life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And yet, O'Shae and so many other LGBTQ individuals have lost their lives or experienced deep harm simply for daring to exercise their freedoms. The reality is: Our nation cannot claim to protect freedom of expression and simultaneously codify laws that fuel discrimination against LGBTQ communities.
For the Black queer faith community, dance has long been intertwined with our worship, a means to commune with the divine and recount the stories of our struggles and triumphs. In the tradition of the Black church, religious dancing, or "shouting," is rooted in breaking the symbolic shackles that would hinder us, as envisioned by God. Similarly, the Black queer community has cultivated liberation through vogueing—reclaiming identity and spirituality. And yet, O'Shae was brutally torn away from us for exercising this freedom.
This year, lawmakers have introduced more than 540 pieces of legislation that strip freedom from LGBTQ communities. Virtually all of these bills are based on the entanglement of sin and homosexuality in religious doctrine and dogma—even though there's very little discussion of sexuality in religious texts.
It's past time to confront the bigotry and homophobia that pervade our religious and secular institutions. At its core, regardless of all the fragments of scripture, religious doctrine teaches us to love all people. That is the ultimate commandment.
Additionally, it's appalling that the men who approached O'Shae claimed that the dancing was a religious offense—one that was worthy of death. Dancing is pervasive throughout the Bible. Even King David danced out of his religious garments in worship before God.
This moment is beckoning us to liberate ourselves from conformity, embracing a world where Black skin is not seen as a threat, where the queer community is not vilified as sinful, and where voguing is recognized as a liturgical expression of the divine feminine, honoring and worshiping God. We must not allow the "religious" to profit from hate in the name of God. We must forge the society America aspires to be—where the diversity of worship is celebrated and cherished.
Importantly, simply refraining from vilifying the LGBTQ community is not enough. We must proactively advocate for justice and truth. As the apostle Paul once said, let us "be united in the same mind and the same purpose."
Silent separation is no longer an option. Remaining silent makes us as complicit as those who stood witness to the crucifixion without taking action. And history has painfully demonstrated the devastating outcomes of hatred and discrimination.
Therefore, all believers and non-believers alike must join hands and hearts in combating hate. We must crucify the death-dealing theologies, sermons, and teachings that foster intolerance and discrimination.
This is our opportunity to set things right, to create a world where everyone can freely worship, love, and live without fear. We cannot let O'Shae's death be in vain; it must serve as the catalyst for change and progress. The freedom of all people depends on it.
Reverend Karmen Michael Smith is the director of the Center for Community Engagement and Social Justice at Union Theological Seminary, a globally recognized graduate school of theology where faith and scholarship meet to reimagine the work of justice.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
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