🔗 Share this article Being Gay in Men's Football: An Unwelcoming Atmosphere “There's still so much to accomplish” - Cavallo on anti-gay prejudice in football “You shouldn't exist” ... “Why are you here?” ... “Stop breathing.” After announcing his homosexuality in 2021, player Josh Cavallo has faced constant threats and hateful comments on social media. “Upon reading those comments, it broke my heart,” Cavallo explains. “No-one wants to read things like that. “I'm working to improve my skills and be the best I can be during matches, and then face criticism due to my identity. It's appalling.” Player Cavallo was at Adelaide United back in 2020 when he emerged as the sole publicly out elite soccer player in the world. Recently he departed from Australia to join lower-tier club Peterborough Sports, who play in front of crowds of about 400 in the sixth division, the sixth tier of English football. The 25-year-old balances his sports career for the semi-professional team by speaking up on LGBTQ+ issues and using his profile - he has more than one million followers on Instagram - to champion equality and acceptance. “Absolutely, there's enormous work ahead,” the footballer says when questioned about ongoing issues with discrimination. “I don't go more than a week without encountering problems.” ‘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 coming out on October 27th, 2021. “All I want to do is play football and be treated equally,” he said in an accompanying video. Cavallo was 21 and building his reputation at his Australian club in Australia's top flight when, backed by his colleagues, he announced his orientation publicly. “I didn't know what was ahead. I had no expectations,” he recalls. “The moment seemed appropriate in my life. I wanted to take the next step.” The heartfelt revelation clip, titled ‘His Personal Story’, went viral on digital platforms. “My phone was flooded with encouraging words. It was overwhelming.” Liverpool were among numerous famous teams around the world to express support for the player, with the coach at the time Jurgen Klopp saying: “I appreciate that he took this step because it sparks conversation.” Barcelona defender the athlete also offered support, writing on social media that “the world of football is far behind and you are helping us move forward”, while his former club issued a statement backing their “remarkable” and “courageous” player. Some people, however, were not so accepting. The footballer soon turned into a target of anti-gay remarks by opposition fans. During early 2022 Melbourne Victory were penalized A$5,000 over discriminatory chants from fans aimed toward the player during a game. “The things I'd hear were hurtful and derogatory towards my community,” he says. “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 coverage. “That was a scary moment,” he remembers. “The thought crossed my mind ‘this is real - individuals intend to hurt me’. “Is it acceptable? Definitely not. But through my disclosure, these are the consequences. “I hope that the next person who comes out while competing in soccer at a high level won't face the journey I have endured.” Cavallo says the constant menacing messages and hostile communications have affected his mental health. “It's quite sad because I am having to explain why I belong on the football field 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 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 inspire 17-year-old Blackpool forward Jake Daniels to announce he was gay as the UK's only openly gay playing soccer professional in spring 2022. However, there are zero publicly LGBTQ athletes in the Premier League. “It would create massive change,” says the footballer on the effect 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. Within soccer culture, being an openly gay player is a highly hostile environment.” Twenty-seven years after a pioneering player - Britain's first openly gay male footballer - died by suicide in 1998, Cavallo has discussed the “harmful male culture” that still exists in men's football. “You just need to go to a game and observe the hostile environment and male-dominated culture that the audience creates,” he says. “Much remains to be done to make sure there is a secure environment in soccer for individuals like me and Jake. “Progress has been limited (more players coming out) 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.” ‘My mission is to drive progress’ The athlete was awarded an honorary degree from an academic institution in Adelaide 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 coming out. However, he is critical of soccer's global governing body, after the Middle Eastern nation, where homosexual partnerships are illegal, hosted the men's World Cup in 2022. The 2034 tournament is scheduled in Saudi Arabia, where homosexuality is similarly prohibited. “Am I impressed that the World Cup is in nations that ban gay unions, where people like me will be imprisoned for just existing on that land? It's frightening,” says the athlete. “I receive communications [from residents of such nations] 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 LGBTQ+ people. Those are the countries that tend to target me.” Despite this, the footballer says he won't cease advocating. “Football has enabled dialogue in the locker room. It lets me communicate and inform individuals who seek understanding. “Some will disapprove for who you are. But I've discovered support. I have found my community. “My purpose is to drive progress. That's my objective.”