Being Gay in Professional Soccer: A Toxic Environment
“We've got mountains to do” - the athlete on anti-gay prejudice in soccer
“You don't belong on this earth” ... “Why are you here?” ... “Don't take another breath.”
After announcing he was gay in 2021, footballer Josh Cavallo has faced constant threats and abusive messages on online platforms.
“When I first saw these messages, it broke my heart,” Cavallo states. “Nobody should have to endure such words.
“I'm working to improve my skills and reach my full potential during matches, and then face criticism due to my identity. It's disgusting.”
Player the sportsman was at Adelaide United four years ago when he emerged as the sole publicly out elite soccer player in the world.
This summer he left Australia to join non-league Peterborough Sports, who play in front of crowds of about 400 in National League North, the sixth tier of the English soccer system.
The 25-year-old combines playing for the semi-professional team by speaking up on LGBTQ+ issues and using his profile - boasting over a million followers on Instagram - to champion equality and inclusion.
“Absolutely, we've got mountains to do,” Cavallo comments when asked if football still has a problem with homophobia.
“Rarely a week passes without encountering problems.”
‘Individuals wish to hurt me’
The player was raised in Melbourne
Several years passed for Cavallo to work up the courage to say “I'm gay” before revealing his sexuality on 27 October 2021.
“My only desire is compete in soccer and be treated equally,” he stated in an accompanying video.
The player was twenty-one 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.
“The future was uncertain. I had no expectations,” he says. “It felt like the right time in my life. I needed to move forward.”
The heartfelt revelation clip, entitled ‘His Personal Story’, gained massive attention on social media.
“My mobile phone exploded with messages of support. It was overwhelming.”
Liverpool were one of many high-profile clubs around the world to express support for the player, 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, posting online that “the world of football is lagging behind and you are helping us move forward”, while Adelaide United released a comment backing their “extraordinary” and “courageous” player.
Others, however, were less welcoming.
The footballer quickly became a target of anti-gay remarks by rival supporters.
During early 2022 Melbourne Victory were fined A$5,000 over anti-gay abuse from fans directed at Cavallo during a game.
“The things I'd hear were hurtful and derogatory towards LGBTQ people,” he explains.
“I remained calm because responding would encourage detractors.”
A scary event occurred at a gas station in Australia, where the athlete was assaulted by someone who recognised him from the media attention.
“It was terrifying,” he remembers. “I remember thinking ‘this is happening - people want to harm me’.
“Is it acceptable? Definitely not. But through my disclosure, these are the consequences.
“I hope that future individuals who comes out while competing in soccer at a high level doesn't have to experience the journey I have experienced.”
The player says the constant menacing messages and abusive messages have taken a toll on his psychological well-being.
“It's quite sad because I am having to explain why I deserve a place on the soccer pitch for being who I am,” 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 sometimes when I lean on my fiance, his name, and he witnesses a lot that happens privately.”
‘Premier League player coming out would move mountains’
Cavallo's decision to disclose his orientation helped inspire teenage Blackpool forward Jake Daniels to come out as the UK's only openly gay active male professional footballer in spring 2022.
Nevertheless, there are no openly gay or bisexual players in the top English division.
“It would move mountains,” says Cavallo on the effect a Premier League player coming out would have.
“But I'm not going to sugar-coat it. There are a lot of scary things that would come this person's way. 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 - died by suicide in 1998, Cavallo has discussed the “toxic masculinity” that still exists in professional soccer.
“You just need to go to a match and see the hostile environment and male-dominated culture that the crowd brings,” he says.
“There is still a lot of work to make sure there is a safe space in soccer for people like myself and Jake.
“Progress has been limited (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 harmful male norms in soccer locker rooms and creating a safe space.”
‘My mission is to drive progress’
Cavallo received an honorary doctorate from Flinders University in his former city in 2022, honoring his efforts 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 the Middle Eastern nation, where homosexual partnerships are illegal, staged the global tournament in 2022.
Future World Cup 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 criminalise same-sex marriages, where individuals like myself will be imprisoned for merely living on their territory? It's frightening,” states the athlete.
“I get messages [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 people are getting locked up for being who they are.
“Certain nations that are significant soccer markets and they don't accept LGBTQ+ people. Those are the countries that often focus on me.”
Nevertheless, Cavallo says he will not stop speaking up.
“Soccer has enabled dialogue in the locker room. It lets me communicate and educate people who seek understanding.
“Some will disapprove for your identity. But I've discovered support. I have found my community.
“My purpose is to drive progress. That's what I'm here for.”
