Xavier Colvin is a linebacker for the Butler Bulldogs at Butler University in Indianapolis. Earlier this month at a team event, he got up on stage in front of everyone, grabbed the microphone, and told his teammates he was gay.
“Afterwards I got texts and phone calls,” Colvin tells Outsports. “The freshmen who didn’t know me came and shook my hand. And they all said, ‘we’ve got your back.’ They told me how proud they were of me. Not even a single negative reaction. It was all positive.”
Coming out had been a long journey for the Division 1 college football player. Growing up, he was told how a “real man” was supposed to act. Being gay certainly didn’t fit into that mold. As a result, he suffered from depression. It wasn’t until he started seeing other athletes come out–people like Michael Sam, Wyatt Pertuset, and Scott Frantz–that he realized being gay was nothing to be ashamed of.
“Seeing other people come out and be OK with being themselves made me realize I could be OK with being myself.”
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He explains:
A lot of times when it comes to gay men in sports we feel like people think we will be ‘less-than’ because of our personal life. I got so caught up trying to please others that I fell into a path of always trying to help others and not myself. Finally I became courageous enough to be myself.
And after finding the courage to tell his coaches and teammates, Colvin says he’s received nothing but “overwhelming support.”
“What I’ve come to learn from my 105 teammates and 15 coaches is that no one cares, and it’s not as big of a deal as it used to be,” he says. “People care more about you as a person and your mental health. It took me a while to learn that.”
He adds: “I wish I would have been OK with myself sooner, but I think timing is everything. I feel like with the increased role this fall, on top of being more mature, I think this will work out well.”
Scroll down for pics from Colvin’s Instagram page…
h/t: Outsports
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
Yay another hot one..er I mean athletically talented individual
Bob LaBlah
That’s not what you meant and you know it. lol lol lol lol
Kieran
He grabbed a mic, got up on stage, and nobody recorded it on their phone?
Xzamilloh
Yeah, and ruined that beautiful behind of his with unnecessary ass injections. And it’s noticeable from behind.
Kangol
I love it! Congrats, Xavier, and don’t ever let any homophobes get you down!
He BGB
Can’t imagine that happening when I was in school. The year I graduated high school was the year they took gay off the mental illness list, 1973. Seems like with each new generation it is getting better. Hope so.
dfwenigma
Isn’t it sad. Here’s what the young man said. Folks these are boys – technically men – but very young – under 21. I’m an oldster so forgive me. In may day he couldn’t have come out – totally impossible. But in this day and age he had to say, “nothing negative”. Here’s my question for America: why do we need to be negative about who a human being is INSIDE? I know he’s being positive. And I’m glad for him that he came out. But why did he need to expect negativity. That says more about America than it does about him. Somehow we must love our kids Show them that we accept them in all their varieties. When we do that we’re all on the road to what “God” intended for us. Please send positive thoughts to all the scared, hurt young people out there who don’t have the support this beautiful young man has.
sesfm
Can we please stop idolizing athletes who come out? They will be worshiped in the gay community for their looks and masculinity. Whatever intolerance they might occasionally face from teammates is nothing compared to the hate that unattractive gay men have to deal with from the rest of the gay community.
Ksb1978
It’s interesting you say that. He’s a black man in the gay community and we all know the gay community’s problem with racism.