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” ... “What are you doing here?” ... “Stop breathing.”
After announcing he was gay in 2021, footballer Josh Cavallo has received daily death threats and hateful comments 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 face criticism due to my identity. It's disgusting.”
Midfielder the sportsman was at Adelaide United four years ago when he emerged as the sole publicly out elite soccer player in the world.
Recently he left Australia to join non-league Peterborough Sports, who play in front of crowds of about 400 in the sixth division, one level below of the English soccer system.
The 25-year-old combines playing for the semi-professional team by advocating for LGBTQ+ issues and using his profile - he has more than one million followers on Instagram - to promote fairness and acceptance.
“Absolutely, there's enormous work ahead,” Cavallo says when questioned about ongoing issues with homophobia.
“I don't go more than a week without encountering problems.”
‘Individuals wish to hurt me’
Josh Cavallo grew up in Melbourne
It took years for the athlete to work up the courage to say “I am homosexual” before revealing his sexuality on 27 October 2021.
“My only desire is play football and receive fair treatment,” he said in an accompanying video.
Cavallo was 21 and making a name for himself at his Australian club in the premier division when, backed by his colleagues, he announced his orientation publicly.
“The future was uncertain. I didn't know what to expect,” he recalls. “It felt like the right time in my life. I wanted to take the next step.”
The heartfelt revelation clip, titled ‘Josh's Truth’, went viral on social media.
“My mobile phone exploded with messages of support. The response was incredible.”
A prominent club were among numerous famous teams around the world to show solidarity with Cavallo, with then manager Jurgen Klopp saying: “I appreciate that he did it because now we talk again.”
Barcelona defender Gerard Pique also expressed backing, 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 “courageous” player.
Others, however, were not so accepting.
The footballer quickly became a subject to homophobic abuse by rival supporters.
In January 2022 a competing team were penalized A$5,000 over discriminatory chants from fans directed at the player 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 Cavallo 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 real - individuals intend to hurt me’.
“Should this be tolerated? Definitely not. But by coming out, this is what it brings.
“I hope that future individuals who comes out while playing football at a high level won't face the journey I have experienced.”
The player says the daily death threats and hostile communications have taken a toll on his psychological well-being.
“It's quite sad because I am having to explain why I belong on the soccer pitch for being who I am,” he states.
“We don't sit straight people down and ask ‘why should you exist in football?’.
“Many individuals see me as a smiling, positive person. But there are days when I rely on my partner, his name, and he witnesses much of what occurs behind the scenes.”
‘Top-tier athlete revealing orientation would create waves’
Cavallo's decision to disclose his orientation helped prompt teenage attacking player Jake Daniels to come out as the UK's only openly gay playing soccer professional in spring 2022.
However, there are no openly gay or bisexual players in the top English division.
“It would create massive change,” says the footballer on the effect a Premier League player revealing their orientation would make.
“But I must be honest. Numerous frightening aspects that would come this person's way. In the world of football, identifying as LGBTQ is a highly hostile environment.”
Over two decades after a pioneering player - Britain's first openly gay male footballer - died by suicide in 1998, the current athlete has spoken about the “harmful male culture” that persists in professional soccer.
“You just need to go to a game and observe the unfriendly atmosphere and male-dominated culture that the audience creates,” he explains.
“Much remains to be done to make sure 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 much as we would like.
“My role is to continue advocating for principles I believe in, and work towards eliminating the toxic masculinity in soccer locker rooms and establishing secure environments.”
‘My mission is to drive progress’
The athlete was awarded an honorary degree from an academic institution 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 inside dressing rooms about coming out.
However, he is disapproving toward Fifa, after Qatar, where homosexual partnerships are illegal, hosted the men's World Cup in 2022.
The 2034 tournament will be held in another Gulf state, where same-sex attraction is also illegal.
“Am I impressed that the World Cup is in countries that ban gay unions, where individuals like myself will be imprisoned for merely living on that land? It's frightening,” says Cavallo.
“I get messages [from people living in these countries] saying ‘I'm about to be put in prison for my identity - is assistance possible?’.
“It breaks my heart that individuals are incarcerated for being who they are.
“There are countries that are huge in terms of football and they reject the queer community. Those are the countries that often focus on me.”
Despite this, Cavallo says he will not stop speaking up.
“Soccer has enabled dialogue in the changing room. It lets me communicate and inform individuals who seek understanding.
“Not everyone is going to like you for your identity. But I have found my family. I have found my community.
“My purpose is to create change. That's what I'm here for.”