A post shared by Byron Perkins (@byron.perkinz)Perkins publicly came out as gay last year, becoming the first out active football player in HBCU history.
When he came out, he talked about the power of removing his mask, and showing his true self to the world.“Especially at an HBCU, young Black gay men need an outlet,” he told Outsports. “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.”In an effort to achieve that goal, Perkins has put himself everywhere over the last 12 months.
He’s appeared on multiple high-profile platforms, including The Tamron Hall Show, CBS Sports and ESPN’s SportsCenter. Whenever he can, Perkins preaches the power of authenticity.