Hampton’s Byron Perkins is first openly Gay HBCU Football Player
Byron Perkins, a defensive back for the Hampton University Pirates, was in a dark spot a month ago. He wasn’t being authentic to himself and it was causing pressure in his life, he told Outsports.
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Over the last month, he had realized that being in the closet as a gay man was eating at him. And that needed to change.
“I’ve been self-reflective and trying to prioritize what makes me happy and makes me feel alive,” he 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.”
Today he came out publicly as gay in a powerful message of love for everyone in his life.
“I’ve decided that I’m going to make a change, and stop running away from myself,” Perkins wrote on Instagram. “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.”
| by Anonymous | reply 40 | June 14, 2023 11:04 PM
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When he gets fucked does he say "Yeah son" or "Kill me with that dick, niggá!"?
Or is he a snow queen like that Shaun T Insanity guy?
| by Anonymous | reply 5 | October 21, 2022 4:07 PM
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He’s a cutie, but I bet some kween tried to blackmail him with a crazy ploy and this was a great way for him to snuff it out!
| by Anonymous | reply 11 | December 1, 2022 10:35 AM
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Proud of him. And it helps that he's hot too.
| by Anonymous | reply 13 | December 1, 2022 12:26 PM
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Now let's see if DL supports this guy as much as they support that rightwing douchebag Carl Nassib. Probably not.
| by Anonymous | reply 14 | December 1, 2022 12:30 PM
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Great interview with Tamron Hall. The part with his mother is moving @ 7:25.
| by Anonymous | reply 15 | December 1, 2022 12:36 PM
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Only 15 comments on this? Sad.
| by Anonymous | reply 16 | December 2, 2022 12:06 PM
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It is. Demonstrates that the stereotype about white gay men is true
| by Anonymous | reply 17 | December 2, 2022 12:45 PM
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R17, Carl Nassib gets like 500 comments on his threads and he's a rightwing douchebag and you see all these excuses made for his Trump/MAGA support. Yet Byron gets nothing?
| by Anonymous | reply 18 | December 2, 2022 1:09 PM
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I have a gay cousin who chose to attend a HBCU while being very out about it. I thought he had lost his mind, but he actually enjoyed the experience, and made lots of friends. He's a successful man today, and is very confident and comfortable about himself. I hope to see more of this in the Black community.
| by Anonymous | reply 19 | December 2, 2022 1:33 PM
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R19, I'm really glad that he had that experience. Not black but I'm happy whenever other minorities have positive experiences in adolescence/early-adulthood being gay. It can be really rough.
| by Anonymous | reply 20 | December 2, 2022 2:17 PM
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Would it be wrong for me to ask for Santa to put Byron under my tree?
| by Anonymous | reply 21 | December 2, 2022 3:14 PM
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[Quote]Not black but I'm happy whenever other minorities have positive experiences in adolescence/early-adulthood being gay. It can be really rough.
R20 His mother is very much a gay ally. She was one of the first people I told when I came out (as a young adult), and she was completely accepting of it. So was her mother, who also had gay friends. When my cousin's son came out to her at the age of 13, she immediately found positive role models for him, especially Black male ones. As a result, he learned how to easily deal with the negative attitudes most gaylings encounter while growing up. I sure wish I had that type of support while growing up back then; I envy him a bit for that.
| by Anonymous | reply 22 | December 2, 2022 3:24 PM
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R21, it would be wrong if you didn't.
R22, I hear you. I wish I had positive gay male adults in my life as an adolescent. Or even straight ally adults.
| by Anonymous | reply 23 | December 2, 2022 3:55 PM
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What a sweet young man! He had me in tears. Mama is hot but she needs to work with a make up artist, because that red lipstick is not working.
| by Anonymous | reply 24 | December 2, 2022 4:21 PM
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When his mama said she could see the weight lifting off him, that he had been burdened, in a box, and couldn't be himself until he came out, that really really got to me.
| by Anonymous | reply 25 | December 2, 2022 4:22 PM
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She’s a broke down whore from Hampton University with a hot box!
| by Anonymous | reply 28 | December 3, 2022 6:09 PM
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He's getting a little heat online for fucking with white guys despite being at an HBCU, and allegedly he put on a show at a sex party with a white dude.
TBH with a body, looks and popularity like that Im not surprised. I hope he wasn't forced out by some hoe, but either way he's winning
| by Anonymous | reply 29 | December 4, 2022 4:04 PM
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R29, those pictures are him (most likely). Not sure why he's getting hate. He's young and he attended a sex party, so what?
| by Anonymous | reply 30 | December 4, 2022 4:25 PM
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r30 I dont think its about him attending sex party or being on grindr. Its more about him being with white men which is now a stereotype for black guys of any prominence who come out publicly. And even more so because he's at Hampton University, which is likely one of the best places to find other college aged black guys who are gay and talented.
| by Anonymous | reply 31 | December 4, 2022 4:36 PM
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R31, got it. For me, I think what's worse is when people of a certain race only find their own people attractive and think all others are ugly.
| by Anonymous | reply 32 | December 4, 2022 4:39 PM
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It's the same with hetero players who only date white girls. They see whites as a prize once they've "made it."
| by Anonymous | reply 33 | December 4, 2022 5:03 PM
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Wait, he was fucking one white guy on a sex party. Those 10 minutes make people believe he only dates white men? Jeez...
| by Anonymous | reply 34 | December 4, 2022 6:41 PM
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He's getting a lot of heat online for his white boyfriend who is 15 years older than him....
| by Anonymous | reply 36 | June 14, 2023 10:45 PM
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Good for him but I'm concerned for his physical well-being. HBCUs. Are well known for being homophobic
| by Anonymous | reply 38 | June 14, 2023 10:56 PM
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He'll be in West Hollywood and Palm Springs after he is graduated. Everyone will want him to be at their parties.
| by Anonymous | reply 39 | June 14, 2023 11:00 PM
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r38 he graduated....off to WeHo and Palm Springs he goes!
| by Anonymous | reply 40 | June 14, 2023 11:04 PM
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