Identifying as LGBTQ+ in Professional Soccer: An Unwelcoming Atmosphere
“There's still so much to accomplish” - Cavallo on anti-gay prejudice in football
“You don't belong on this earth” ... “Why are you here?” ... “Stop breathing.”
After announcing he was gay in 2021, player Josh Cavallo has faced constant threats and abusive messages on online platforms.
“Upon reading those comments, it broke my heart,” Cavallo states. “No-one wants to read things like that.
“I'm trying to get better as a player and be the best I can be on the pitch, and then get put down because of who I am. It's disgusting.”
Midfielder Cavallo was playing for Adelaide United back in 2020 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 compete before audiences of about 400 in the sixth division, the sixth tier of the English soccer system.
This young athlete combines playing for the Cambridgeshire part-timers by speaking up on inclusion matters and leveraging his platform - boasting over a million followers on social media - to promote fairness and inclusion.
“Absolutely, we've got mountains to do,” the footballer comments when questioned about ongoing issues with homophobia.
“Rarely a week passes without encountering problems.”
‘Individuals wish to hurt me’
The player was raised in Melbourne
It took years for Cavallo to work up the courage to say “I am homosexual” before revealing his sexuality on October 27th, 2021.
“All I want to do is compete in soccer and be treated equally,” he stated in an related clip.
The player was 21 and building his reputation at his Australian club in the premier division when, with the support of his team-mates, he announced his orientation publicly.
“I didn't know what was ahead. I didn't know what to expect,” he says. “The moment seemed appropriate in my life. I wanted to take the next step.”
The heartfelt revelation clip, titled ‘His Personal Story’, gained massive attention on social media.
“My phone was flooded with encouraging words. The response was incredible.”
A prominent club were one of many high-profile clubs around the world to express support for the player, with then manager Jurgen Klopp saying: “I appreciate that he did it because it sparks conversation.”
Barcelona defender the athlete also expressed backing, writing on social media that “soccer culture is lagging behind and your actions drive progress”, while Adelaide United released a comment backing their “remarkable” and “courageous” player.
Others, however, were less welcoming.
The footballer soon turned into a subject to homophobic abuse by opposition fans.
In January 2022 Melbourne Victory were fined five thousand dollars over discriminatory chants from spectators aimed toward Cavallo during a game.
“The comments I encountered were hurtful and disparaging towards LGBTQ people,” he says.
“I remained calm because responding would encourage detractors.”
There was a frightening incident at a petrol station in Australia, where the athlete was assaulted by someone who recognised him from the media attention.
“It was terrifying,” he remembers. “The thought crossed my mind ‘this is happening - individuals intend to hurt me’.
“Should this be tolerated? Absolutely not. But by coming out, this is what it brings.
“My wish is that future individuals who reveals their orientation while playing football at a professional standard doesn't have to experience the path I have experienced.”
Cavallo says the daily death threats and hostile communications have affected his mental health.
“It's disappointing because I must justify why I deserve a place on the football field for being who I am,” he states.
“Heterosexual players aren't questioned and ask ‘what gives you the right in football?’.
“A lot of people see me as a cheerful, positive person. But sometimes when I lean on my fiance, Leighton, and he witnesses a lot that happens behind the scenes.”
‘Top-tier athlete revealing orientation would create waves’
Cavallo's decision to reveal his sexuality helped inspire 17-year-old Blackpool forward another athlete to come out as the Britain's sole publicly out active male professional footballer in May 2022.
However, there are no openly gay or bisexual players in the Premier League.
“It would move mountains,” says Cavallo on the effect a Premier League player coming out would make.
“But I'm not going to sugar-coat it. There are a lot of scary things that would await this individual. Within soccer culture, being an openly gay player is a very toxic place.”
Twenty-seven years after Justin Fashanu - Britain's first openly gay male footballer - took his own life in 1998, Cavallo has discussed the “harmful male culture” that still exists in professional soccer.
“You just need to go to a game and see the unfriendly atmosphere and male-dominated culture that the crowd brings,” he says.
“There is still a lot of work to ensure there is a secure environment in football for people like myself and his colleague.
“We haven't seen it (additional athletes revealing their orientation) as much as we would like.
“My role is to continue advocating for what I think is right, and strive for taking out the toxic masculinity in football changing rooms and establishing secure environments.”
‘I'm here to create change’
Cavallo received an honorary doctorate from Flinders University in his former city in 2022, recognising his contributions as a role model in athletics and a champion for equality
Cavallo says football has allowed him to have conversations within team environments about revealing one's orientation.
Yet, he is critical of soccer's global governing body, after Qatar, where same-sex relationships are against the law, hosted the men's World Cup in 2022.
Future World Cup will be held in another Gulf state, where homosexuality is also illegal.
“Am I impressed that the global championship is in nations that criminalise same-sex marriages, where people like me will be imprisoned for merely living on that land? It's frightening,” states the athlete.
“I receive communications [from people living in these countries] saying ‘I'm about to be put in prison for my identity - can you help me?’.
“It breaks my heart that people are getting locked up for being who they are.
“There are countries that are significant soccer markets and they don't accept the queer community. Those are the countries that often focus on me.”
Despite this, Cavallo says he will not stop speaking up.
“Football 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've discovered support. I've connected with similar people.
“My mission is to create change. That's my objective.”
