Hampton defensive back Byron Perkins made history Wednesday by becoming the first football player at an HBCU to come out as gay. Perkins, a redshirt junior from Chicago, made the announcement on his Instagram account story, saying that it was time to “stop running away.”
“I’ve decided that I’m going to make change, and stop running away from myself. I’m gay,” Perkins wrote. “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.”
In an interview with Cyd Ziegler of Outsports, Perkins said that before making his announcement, he felt something had been missing from his life. Now, he feels more complete.
“I’ve been self-reflective and trying to prioritize what makes me happy and makes me feel alive,” Perkins told Outsports. “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.”
Hampton is a private university located in Hampton, Va., and competes in the Colonial Athletic Association at the FCS level. Perkins played for Purdue before transferring to Hampton, and he has appeared in 11 games for the Pirates over the past two seasons.
In his Instagram post, Perkins wrote that he felt the burden of having to hide his true self, and that he was through with concealing his true nature.
“I have come to understand that life is precious and I could be gone at any moment, therefore, I will no longer be living a lie,” Perkins wrote. “No one should have to live a life crippled by what society thinks. I have been told on many occasions that I walk around and look as if I’m upset. This is not because I am an angry person, but because I have put on a mask, a mask that has restricted me. Today, I am destroying that mask.”
Perkins told Outsports that the response from his team has been “very good,” if not a little mixed, and that his coaches have supported him. He emphasized the importance for Black gay men to feel comfortable being open about who they are.
“Especially at an HBCU, young Black gay men need an outlet,” Perkins 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. I want people to know they can be themselves. It’s about that kid who’s going to see this and think he can be himself too.”
