Hampton University junior Byron Perkins recently came out as gay, making him the first football player at a historically Black college to do so.
According to LGBTQ+ sports site Outsports.com, Perkins came out as gay via his Instagram stories in October. The Hampton University Pirates player, a Division I defensive back, is reportedly the first to do so in HBCU football history.
“I’ve decided that I’m going to make a change and stop running away from myself,” he wrote on IG. “I’m gay. Let it be known that this is not a ‘decision’ or a ‘choice.’ Yes, this is who I am, this is who I’ve been, and this is who I’m going to be. Simply put, I am who I am.”
He also said that “authenticity is everything” to him.
“I’ve been self-reflective and trying to prioritize what makes me happy and makes me feel alive,” Perkins said. “I thought it could be just football and school, but there was a component missing. And recently, I’ve been able to figure out that I haven’t been fully happy because everyone didn’t know who I was. Authenticity is everything to me.”
While other gay Division I football players have reportedly been out during their college careers, neither of them attend an HBCU. The defensive back believes that “young Black gay men need an outlet” and “support system” at historically Black colleges.
“Especially at an HBCU, young Black gay men need an outlet,” the junior said. “They need a support system. There hasn’t been an out gay football athlete at an HBCU. I want to end the stigma of what people think.”
Before transferring to Hampton University, Perkins was on the Purdue Boilermakers football team. Raised in Chicago, he attended De La Salle High School on the South Side, where he played offense, defense and special teams.
“I want people to know they can be themselves,” he said.
