Australia’s first openly gay male footballer Josh Cavallo says he receives multiple death threats on a daily basis and described the sport as being a “very toxic place” for those who have come out.
Cavallo publicly came out as gay in October 2021, becoming the only openly gay male top-flight professional player at the time, something that he describes as “the best move and decision I’ve ever made.”
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The 25-year-old Adelaide United defender said that he still regularly receives negativity and threats, three and a half years after first discussing his sexuality publicly.
“There’s multiple, multiple, multiple death threats that come my way daily still and it’s quite sad to see,” he told FIFPRO’s Footballers Unfiltered podcast.
Cavallo received messages of support from multiple people in the sport after he came out in 2021, including the then Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford, currently on loan at Aston Villa.
However, he has encountered homophobia too, and in January 2022 was forced to call out homophobic abuse directed towards him during an A-League game.
“In the world of football, being an openly gay player is a very toxic place,” he said. “It’s something that not everyone would be able to handle and go through. I still think we’re a very, very long way from there being acceptance in this space.
“So, these are factors that people will consider in their coming out and they might not be out now, but coming out brings all this attention, it brings all this pressure, brings all this negativity that will affect their game in the long run.”
Cavallo also said that he would find it “difficult” to encourage other professional footballers to be public with their sexuality due to the “mountain of downsides” it comes with.
He credited his support network with helping him deal with the abuse he receives.
“I have a very strong support network,” he said. “I have my good days, I have my bad days but I’m free. I go to bed, I put my head on the pillow and I’m happy. I’m Josh Cavallo, I’m the footballer, I’m also the gay footballer and I’m super proud to say that.”
(Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
