Being Gay in Professional Soccer: An Unwelcoming Atmosphere
“We've got mountains to do” - the athlete on homophobia in football
“You don't belong on this earth” ... “Why are you here?” ... “Stop breathing.”
After announcing his homosexuality in 2021, player Josh Cavallo has faced constant threats and abusive messages on online platforms.
“When I first saw these messages, I was devastated,” Cavallo explains. “Nobody should have to endure such words.
“I'm trying to get better as a player and be the best I can be on the pitch, and then get put down due to my identity. It's disgusting.”
Midfielder Cavallo was at Adelaide United back in 2020 when he emerged as the sole publicly out elite soccer player in the world.
This summer he left Australia to join lower-tier club Peterborough Sports, who play in front of crowds of about 400 in National League North, one level below of English football.
The 25-year-old combines playing for the semi-professional team by speaking up on inclusion matters and leveraging his platform - he has more than one million followers on social media - to champion equality and acceptance.
“Definitely, we've got mountains to do,” the footballer says when questioned about ongoing issues with discrimination.
“I don't go more than a week without encountering problems.”
‘Individuals wish to hurt me’
Josh Cavallo grew up in Melbourne
Several years passed for the athlete to build up the bravery to say “I'm gay” before coming out on 27 October 2021.
“All I want to do is compete in soccer and be treated equally,” he stated in an accompanying video.
The player was twenty-one and making a name for himself at his Australian club in the premier division when, backed by his colleagues, he announced his orientation publicly.
“I didn't know what was ahead. I had no expectations,” he says. “It felt like the right time in my life. I wanted to take the next step.”
His emotional coming out video, entitled ‘Josh's Truth’, gained massive attention on social media.
“My mobile phone exploded with messages of support. It was overwhelming.”
A prominent club were one of many high-profile clubs around the world to show solidarity with Cavallo, with the coach at the time the German manager saying: “I'm really thankful that he did it because now we talk again.”
Barcelona defender the athlete also offered support, writing on social media that “soccer culture is far behind and you are helping us move forward”, while Adelaide United issued a statement backing their “remarkable” and “brave” player.
Some people, however, were less welcoming.
The footballer quickly became a target of anti-gay remarks by opposition fans.
In January 2022 Melbourne Victory were fined five thousand dollars over discriminatory chants from fans directed at the player during a match.
“The things I'd hear were painful and disparaging towards my community,” he explains.
“I didn't react because responding would encourage detractors.”
A scary event occurred at a petrol station in Australia, where Cavallo was physically attacked by an individual who identified him from the media attention.
“It was terrifying,” he recalls. “The thought crossed my mind ‘this is real - individuals intend to hurt me’.
“Is it acceptable? Absolutely not. But by coming out, this is what it brings.
“My wish is that the next person who reveals their orientation while playing football at a professional standard doesn't have to experience the journey I have endured.”
Cavallo says the daily death threats and abusive messages have affected his psychological well-being.
“It's quite sad because I am having to explain why I deserve a place on the football field for being who I am,” he states.
“Heterosexual players aren't questioned and ask ‘why should you exist in football?’.
“Many individuals see me as a smiling, optimistic person. But sometimes when I rely on my partner, his name, and he gets to see a lot that happens behind the scenes.”
‘Premier League player coming out would move mountains’
The player's choice to reveal his sexuality helped prompt 17-year-old attacking player another athlete to come out as the UK's only openly gay active male professional footballer in spring 2022.
Nevertheless, there are zero publicly LGBTQ athletes in the top English division.
“It would move mountains,” comments Cavallo on the effect a Premier League player coming out would make.
“But I must be honest. There are a lot of scary things that would await this individual. Within soccer culture, being an openly gay player is a highly hostile environment.”
Over two decades after a pioneering player - Britain's first openly gay male footballer - took his own life in 1998, the current athlete has spoken about the “harmful male culture” that persists in men's football.
“You just need to go to a game and see the unfriendly atmosphere and male-dominated culture that the crowd brings,” he explains.
“Much remains to be done to ensure there is a safe space in football for individuals like me and Jake.
“We haven't seen it (more players coming out) as frequently as desired.
“My role is to continue advocating for principles I believe in, and work towards taking out the harmful male norms in soccer locker rooms and creating a safe space.”
‘My mission is to drive progress’
The athlete was awarded an honorary degree from Flinders University in his former city in 2022, honoring his efforts as a inspirational figure in sport and a champion for equality
Cavallo says soccer has enabled discussions within team environments about coming out.
Yet, he is critical of Fifa, after Qatar, where same-sex relationships are illegal, staged the global tournament in 2022.
Future World Cup is scheduled in Saudi Arabia, where same-sex attraction is also illegal.
“Do I approve that the global championship is in countries that criminalise same-sex marriages, where individuals like myself will be imprisoned for just existing on their territory? It's scary,” states Cavallo.
“I get messages [from residents of such nations] saying ‘I'm about to be put in prison for being who I am - can you help me?’.
“It breaks my heart that people are getting locked up for their true selves.
“There are countries that are significant soccer markets and they reject the queer community. These places that tend to target me.”
Nevertheless, Cavallo says he will not stop speaking up.
“Soccer has allowed me to start conversations in the locker room. It has allowed me to speak and inform individuals who seek understanding.
“Some will disapprove for who you are. But I have found my family. I've connected with similar people.
“My purpose is to drive progress. That's what I'm here for.”
