Identifying as LGBTQ+ in Professional Soccer: A Toxic Environment
“There's still so much to accomplish” - the athlete on homophobia in soccer
“You don't belong on this earth” ... “Why are you here?” ... “Stop breathing.”
Since revealing his homosexuality in 2021, footballer the athlete has received daily death threats and hateful comments on online platforms.
“Upon reading those comments, I was devastated,” 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 on the pitch, and then get put down due to my identity. It's disgusting.”
Midfielder Cavallo was playing for 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 non-league Peterborough Sports, who play in front of crowds of about 400 in the sixth division, the sixth tier of English football.
This young athlete balances his sports career for the Cambridgeshire part-timers by advocating for LGBTQ+ issues and using his profile - boasting over a million followers on social media - to promote fairness and inclusion.
“Definitely, we've got mountains to do,” the footballer says when questioned about ongoing issues with discrimination.
“Rarely a week passes 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 am homosexual” before coming out on October 27th, 2021.
“My only desire is compete in soccer and be treated equally,” he stated in an related clip.
Cavallo was 21 and making a name for himself at his Australian club in the premier division when, with the support of his team-mates, he announced his orientation publicly.
“The future was uncertain. I didn't know what to expect,” he says. “It felt like the right time in my life. I wanted to take the next step.”
The heartfelt revelation clip, entitled ‘His Personal Story’, gained massive attention on digital platforms.
“My phone was flooded with encouraging words. It was overwhelming.”
Liverpool were one of many high-profile clubs around the world to show solidarity with the player, with the coach at the time Jurgen Klopp saying: “I appreciate that he took this step because now we talk again.”
Barcelona defender Gerard Pique also expressed backing, writing on social media that “the world of football is lagging behind and your actions drive progress”, while his former club issued a statement backing their “remarkable” and “brave” player.
Some people, however, were not so accepting.
Cavallo soon turned into a target of homophobic abuse by opposition fans.
In January 2022 a competing team were penalized five thousand dollars over discriminatory chants from fans directed at Cavallo during a match.
“The comments I encountered were painful and disparaging towards my community,” 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 an individual who identified him from the media attention.
“It was terrifying,” he remembers. “I remember thinking ‘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 the next person who reveals their orientation while playing football at a high level won't face the path I have endured.”
Cavallo says the daily death threats and hostile communications 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 says.
“We don't sit straight people down and ask ‘why should you exist in football?’.
“A lot of people see me as a smiling, positive person. But there are days when I lean on my fiance, his name, and he gets to see much of what occurs behind the scenes.”
‘Top-tier athlete revealing orientation would create waves’
The player's choice to disclose his orientation helped prompt teenage Blackpool forward Jake Daniels to announce he was gay as the UK's only openly gay playing soccer professional in spring 2022.
Nevertheless, there are no openly gay or bisexual players in the top English division.
“It would create massive change,” says Cavallo on the impact a elite athlete revealing their orientation would make.
“But I'm not going to sugar-coat it. 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 very toxic place.”
Over two decades after Justin Fashanu - Britain's first openly gay male footballer - took his own life in 1998, Cavallo has discussed the “toxic masculinity” that persists in men's football.
“You just need to go to a game and see the hostile environment and male-dominated culture that the crowd brings,” he says.
“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 much as we would like.
“My role is to continue advocating for principles I believe in, and strive for taking out the toxic masculinity in football changing rooms and establishing secure environments.”
‘I'm here to create change’
The athlete was awarded an honorary degree from an academic institution in his former city in 2022, recognising his contributions as a inspirational figure in athletics and a champion for equality
The player says soccer has enabled discussions within team environments about revealing one's orientation.
However, he is critical of soccer's global governing body, 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 global championship is in nations that ban gay unions, where people like me will be imprisoned for just existing on that land? It's scary,” states the athlete.
“I receive communications [from people living in these countries] saying ‘I face imprisonment for my identity - is assistance possible?’.
“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 reject the queer community. Those are the countries that often focus on me.”
Nevertheless, Cavallo says he will not stop speaking up.
“Football has allowed me to start conversations in the changing room. It has allowed me to speak and inform individuals who seek understanding.
“Not everyone is going to like you for who you are. But I've discovered support. I have found my community.
“My mission is to drive progress. That's my objective.”
