Being Gay in Professional Soccer: An Unwelcoming Atmosphere
“We've got mountains to do” - the athlete on anti-gay prejudice in soccer
“You shouldn't exist” ... “What are you doing here?” ... “Don't take another breath.”
After announcing his homosexuality in 2021, footballer Josh Cavallo has received daily death threats and hateful comments on social media.
“Upon reading those comments, I was devastated,” the player explains. “Nobody should have to endure such words.
“I'm trying to get better as a player and reach my full potential on the pitch, and then get put down due to my identity. It's disgusting.”
Player Cavallo was at Adelaide United four years ago when he emerged as the sole publicly out elite soccer player in the world.
This summer he departed from Australia to sign with non-league Peterborough Sports, who play in front of crowds of about 400 in the sixth division, the sixth tier of English football.
This young athlete combines playing for the Cambridgeshire part-timers by speaking up on LGBTQ+ issues and using his profile - boasting over a million followers on Instagram - to promote fairness and inclusion.
“Definitely, there's enormous work ahead,” Cavallo says when questioned about ongoing issues with discrimination.
“Rarely a week passes without encountering problems.”
‘Individuals wish to hurt me’
The player was raised in Melbourne
Several years passed for Cavallo to work up the courage to say “I am homosexual” before coming out on October 27th, 2021.
“My only desire is compete in soccer and be treated equally,” he said in an accompanying video.
The player was twenty-one and making a name for himself at his Australian club in Australia's top flight when, backed by his colleagues, he announced his orientation publicly.
“I didn't know what was ahead. I didn't know what to expect,” he recalls. “It felt like the right time in my life. I needed to move forward.”
The heartfelt revelation clip, entitled ‘His Personal Story’, went viral on social media.
“My phone was flooded with messages of support. It was overwhelming.”
A prominent club were among numerous famous teams around the world to express support for Cavallo, with the coach at the time Jurgen Klopp saying: “I'm really thankful that he did it because now we talk again.”
Spanish player the athlete also offered support, posting online that “the world of football is far behind and your actions drive progress”, while his former club issued a statement supporting their “extraordinary” and “brave” player.
Some people, however, were not so accepting.
Cavallo soon turned into a subject to anti-gay remarks by opposition fans.
In January 2022 a competing team were fined five thousand dollars over anti-gay abuse from fans aimed toward the player during a match.
“The things I'd hear were hurtful and disparaging towards my community,” he says.
“I remained calm because responding would encourage detractors.”
A scary event occurred at a gas station in Australia, where the athlete was assaulted by an individual who identified him from the media attention.
“That was a scary moment,” he remembers. “The thought crossed my mind ‘this is happening - people want to harm me’.
“Should this be tolerated? Definitely not. But by coming out, these are the consequences.
“My wish is that future individuals who comes out while playing football at a professional standard doesn't have to experience the path I have experienced.”
The player says the constant menacing messages and hostile communications have taken a toll on his mental health.
“It's disappointing because I must justify why I deserve a place on the football field for my identity,” he says.
“We don't sit straight people down and ask ‘why should you exist in football?’.
“Many individuals see me as a smiling, optimistic person. But there are days when I lean on my fiance, Leighton, and he gets to see much of what occurs privately.”
‘Top-tier athlete revealing orientation would create waves’
Cavallo's decision to reveal his sexuality helped prompt 17-year-old attacking player Jake Daniels to announce he was gay as the UK's only openly gay active male professional footballer in spring 2022.
Nevertheless, there are no openly gay or bisexual players in the top English division.
“It would move mountains,” says Cavallo on the impact a Premier League player coming out would have.
“But I must be honest. Numerous frightening aspects that would come this person's way. Within soccer culture, identifying as LGBTQ is a very toxic place.”
Over two decades after a pioneering player - Britain's first openly gay male footballer - died by suicide in 1998, Cavallo has discussed the “harmful male culture” that persists in men's football.
“Simply attend to a game and observe the hostile environment and male-dominated culture that the audience creates,” he explains.
“There is still a lot of work to ensure there is a safe space in football for individuals like me and his colleague.
“We haven't seen it (additional athletes revealing their orientation) as frequently as desired.
“My role is to continue advocating for what I think is right, and strive for taking out the harmful male norms in soccer locker rooms and establishing secure environments.”
‘I'm here to create change’
The athlete was awarded an honorary degree from an academic institution in Adelaide in 2022, honoring his efforts as a inspirational figure in sport and a champion for equality
The player says soccer has enabled discussions within team environments about coming out.
However, he is critical of soccer's global governing body, after the Middle Eastern nation, where same-sex relationships are against the law, staged the global tournament in 2022.
The 2034 tournament will be held in another Gulf state, where same-sex attraction is similarly prohibited.
“Am I impressed that the global championship is in nations that criminalise same-sex marriages, where people like me will be put in prison for merely living on their territory? It's scary,” says Cavallo.
“I get messages [from people living in these countries] saying ‘I face imprisonment for being who I am - can you help me?’.
“It's devastating that people are getting locked up for their true selves.
“There are countries that are huge in terms of football and they don't accept LGBTQ+ people. Those are the countries that tend to target me.”
Despite this, Cavallo says he won't cease advocating.
“Soccer has allowed me to start conversations in the changing room. It lets me communicate and educate people who want to learn more.
“Some will disapprove for who you are. But I've discovered support. I've connected with similar people.
“My mission is to create change. That's what I'm here for.”
