Identifying as LGBTQ+ in Professional Soccer: A Toxic Environment
“We've got mountains to do” - the athlete on homophobia in football
“You shouldn't exist” ... “What are you doing here?” ... “Stop breathing.”
Since revealing he was gay in 2021, player the athlete has received daily death threats and hateful comments on online platforms.
“When I first saw these messages, it broke my heart,” the player explains. “No-one wants to read things like that.
“I'm trying to get better as a player and be the best I can be during matches, and then get put down due to my identity. It's disgusting.”
Midfielder Cavallo was playing for Adelaide United back in 2020 when he emerged as the sole publicly out top-flight male professional footballer in the world.
Recently he departed from Australia to join non-league Peterborough Sports, who compete before audiences of about 400 in the sixth division, one level below of the English soccer system.
This young athlete balances his sports career for the semi-professional team by advocating for inclusion matters and leveraging his platform - boasting over a million followers on social media - to champion equality and inclusion.
“Absolutely, we've got mountains to do,” Cavallo comments when questioned about ongoing issues with discrimination.
“I don't go more than a week without hearing about an issue.”
‘People want to harm me’
The player was raised in Melbourne
It took years for Cavallo to build up the bravery to say “I am homosexual” before coming out on 27 October 2021.
“My only desire is compete in soccer and be treated equally,” he stated in an related clip.
Cavallo was twenty-one and making a name for himself at Adelaide United in Australia's top flight when, backed by his colleagues, he publicly came out.
“The future was uncertain. 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 digital platforms.
“My phone was flooded with encouraging words. 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 the German manager saying: “I appreciate that he took this step because it sparks conversation.”
Spanish player the athlete also offered support, writing on social media that “the world of football is far behind and your actions drive progress”, while Adelaide United issued a statement backing their “extraordinary” and “brave” player.
Others, however, were less welcoming.
The footballer quickly became a target of homophobic abuse by opposition fans.
In January 2022 Melbourne Victory were fined A$5,000 over anti-gay abuse from spectators directed at the player during a game.
“The things I'd hear were painful and disparaging towards my community,” he explains.
“I didn't react because I knew that would only feed the haters.”
There was a frightening incident at a petrol station in Australia, where Cavallo was physically attacked by someone who recognised him from the media attention.
“It was terrifying,” he remembers. “I remember thinking ‘this is real - 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 high level won't face the journey I have endured.”
Cavallo says the daily death threats and abusive messages have taken a toll on his mental health.
“It's quite sad because I am having to explain why I belong on the football field for my identity,” he states.
“Heterosexual players aren't questioned and ask ‘why should you exist in football?’.
“A lot of people see me as a cheerful, 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 inspire teenage Blackpool forward Jake Daniels to come out as the UK's only openly gay active male professional footballer in spring 2022.
However, there are zero publicly LGBTQ athletes in the top English division.
“It would move mountains,” comments Cavallo on the impact a Premier League player coming out would have.
“But I must be honest. There are a lot of scary things that would await this individual. In the world of football, identifying as LGBTQ is a highly hostile environment.”
Over two decades after Justin Fashanu - Britain's first openly gay male footballer - died by suicide in 1998, Cavallo has discussed the “toxic masculinity” that still exists in men's football.
“You just need to go to a match and observe the hostile environment and masculinity that the crowd brings,” he explains.
“Much remains to be done to ensure there is a secure environment in soccer for people like myself and his colleague.
“Progress has been limited (additional athletes revealing their orientation) as frequently as desired.
“I can only keep pushing for principles I believe in, and strive for taking out the harmful male norms in soccer locker rooms and creating a safe space.”
‘I'm here to create change’
The athlete was awarded an honorary degree from Flinders University in his former city in 2022, honoring his efforts as a inspirational figure in athletics and a advocate for fairness
The player says soccer has allowed him to have conversations within team environments about revealing one's orientation.
However, he is disapproving toward soccer's global governing body, after Qatar, where homosexual partnerships are against the law, staged the global tournament in 2022.
The 2034 tournament is scheduled in another Gulf state, where homosexuality is also illegal.
“Am I impressed that the global championship is in countries that ban gay unions, where people like me will be imprisoned for merely living on that land? It's frightening,” says Cavallo.
“I receive communications [from people living in these countries] saying ‘I face imprisonment for my identity - is assistance possible?’.
“It's devastating that people are getting locked up for being who they are.
“Certain nations that are significant soccer markets and they reject LGBTQ+ people. Those are the countries that often focus on me.”
Despite this, the footballer says he won't cease advocating.
“Football has enabled dialogue in the locker room. It lets me communicate and educate people who seek understanding.
“Not everyone is going to like you for who you are. But I've discovered support. I've connected with similar people.
“My purpose is to drive progress. That's what I'm here for.”
