Being Gay in Men's Football: A Toxic Environment
“There's still so much to accomplish” - the athlete on homophobia in football
“You don't belong on this earth” ... “What are you doing here?” ... “Stop breathing.”
After announcing his homosexuality in 2021, player Josh Cavallo has received daily death threats and hateful comments on social media.
“When I first saw these messages, I was devastated,” Cavallo states. “No-one wants to read things like that.
“I'm working to improve my skills and reach my full potential during matches, and then get put down because of who I am. It's disgusting.”
Midfielder the sportsman was at Adelaide United four years ago when he became the only openly gay top-flight male professional footballer in the world.
Recently he departed from Australia to sign with lower-tier club 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 semi-professional team by advocating for LGBTQ+ issues and leveraging his platform - he has more than one million followers on social media - to promote fairness and acceptance.
“Definitely, there's enormous work ahead,” the footballer comments when questioned about ongoing issues with homophobia.
“I don't go more than a week without hearing about an issue.”
‘People want to harm me’
The player was raised in Melbourne
Several years passed for the athlete to work up the courage to say “I'm gay” before revealing his sexuality on 27 October 2021.
“All I want to do is play football and be treated equally,” he stated in an related clip.
Cavallo was twenty-one and making a name for himself at Adelaide United 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 had no expectations,” he recalls. “It felt like the right time in my life. I needed to move forward.”
His emotional coming out video, titled ‘His Personal Story’, went viral on digital platforms.
“My phone was flooded with messages of support. The response was incredible.”
A prominent club were among numerous famous teams around the world to express support for the player, with then manager Jurgen Klopp saying: “I'm really thankful that he did it because now we talk again.”
Barcelona defender Gerard Pique also expressed backing, writing on social media that “soccer culture is far behind and your actions drive progress”, while Adelaide United released a comment supporting their “remarkable” and “brave” player.
Some people, however, were less welcoming.
The footballer soon turned into a subject to anti-gay remarks by rival supporters.
During early 2022 a competing team were fined A$5,000 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 says.
“I remained calm because I knew that would only feed the haters.”
A scary event occurred at a petrol station in Australia, where the athlete was physically attacked by an individual who identified him from the media attention.
“It was terrifying,” he recalls. “I remember thinking ‘this is happening - people want to harm me’.
“Should this be tolerated? Definitely not. But through my disclosure, these are the consequences.
“My wish is that the next person who reveals their orientation while playing football at a high level doesn't have to experience the path I have experienced.”
Cavallo says the daily death threats and abusive messages have affected his mental health.
“It's disappointing because I am having to explain why I deserve a place on the soccer pitch for being who I am,” he states.
“Heterosexual players aren't questioned and ask ‘why should you exist in football?’.
“A lot of people 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 behind the scenes.”
‘Top-tier athlete revealing orientation would create waves’
Cavallo's decision to disclose his orientation helped inspire teenage attacking player another athlete to announce he was gay as the Britain's sole publicly out playing soccer professional in May 2022.
However, there are zero publicly LGBTQ athletes in the top English division.
“It would create massive change,” says the footballer on the impact a Premier League player revealing their orientation would have.
“But I must be honest. There are a lot of scary things that would come this person's way. In the world of football, 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 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 masculinity that the audience creates,” he explains.
“There is still a lot of work to ensure there is a safe space in football for people like myself and Jake.
“Progress has been limited (additional athletes revealing their orientation) as much as we would like.
“I can only keep pushing for what I think is right, and strive for taking out the harmful male norms in football changing 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, recognising his contributions as a role model in sport and a advocate for fairness
The player says soccer has allowed him to have conversations within team environments about coming out.
Yet, he is disapproving toward Fifa, after the Middle Eastern nation, where homosexual partnerships are illegal, staged the global tournament in 2022.
The 2034 tournament is scheduled in another Gulf state, where same-sex attraction is also illegal.
“Am I impressed that the global championship is in nations that ban gay unions, where individuals like myself will be imprisoned for just existing on that land? It's frightening,” states Cavallo.
“I receive communications [from people living in these countries] saying ‘I'm about to be put in prison for being who I am - can you help me?’.
“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 don't accept the queer community. Those are the countries that tend to target me.”
Despite this, the footballer says he will not stop speaking up.
“Football has allowed me to start conversations in the changing room. It lets me communicate 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 purpose is to create change. That's my objective.”
