🔗 Share this article Being Gay in Professional Soccer: A Toxic Environment “There's still so much to accomplish” - the athlete on homophobia in football “You shouldn't exist” ... “Why are you here?” ... “Don't take another breath.” Since revealing his homosexuality in 2021, footballer Josh Cavallo has faced constant threats and hateful comments on social media. “Upon reading those comments, it broke my heart,” Cavallo states. “No-one wants to read things like that. “I'm trying to get better as a player 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 four years ago when he became the only openly gay top-flight male professional footballer in the world. This summer he left Australia to sign with lower-tier club Peterborough Sports, who compete before audiences of about 400 in National League North, one level below of the English soccer system. The 25-year-old combines playing for the Cambridgeshire part-timers by advocating for inclusion matters and using his profile - boasting over a million followers on Instagram - to champion equality and acceptance. “Definitely, there's enormous work ahead,” Cavallo comments when asked if football still has a problem with discrimination. “Rarely a week passes without encountering problems.” ‘People want to harm me’ The player was raised in Melbourne Several years passed for Cavallo to work up the courage to say “I am homosexual” before coming out on October 27th, 2021. “All I want to do is play football and receive fair treatment,” he stated in an related clip. The player was 21 and building his reputation at Adelaide United in Australia's top flight when, backed by his colleagues, he announced his orientation publicly. “I didn't know what was ahead. I didn't know what to expect,” he recalls. “It felt like the right time in my life. I wanted to take the next step.” His emotional coming out video, entitled ‘His Personal Story’, went viral on digital platforms. “My mobile phone exploded with encouraging words. The response was incredible.” A prominent club were one of many high-profile clubs around the world to show solidarity with Cavallo, with then manager Jurgen Klopp saying: “I'm really thankful that he took this step because now we talk again.” Spanish player Gerard Pique also expressed backing, posting online that “the world of football is lagging behind and your actions drive progress”, while Adelaide United issued a statement supporting their “remarkable” and “brave” player. Others, however, were less welcoming. The footballer soon turned into a subject to homophobic abuse by opposition fans. During early 2022 a competing team were fined A$5,000 over anti-gay abuse from spectators aimed toward the player during a match. “The things I'd hear were painful and derogatory towards LGBTQ people,” 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 assaulted by an individual who identified him from the coverage. “It was terrifying,” he remembers. “The thought crossed my mind ‘this is happening - individuals intend to hurt me’. “Should this be tolerated? Absolutely not. But by coming out, these are the consequences. “My wish is that the next person who comes out while playing football at a professional standard won't face the path I have endured.” The player says the daily death threats and hostile communications have taken a toll on his psychological well-being. “It's disappointing because I am having to explain why I deserve a place on the football field for being who I am,” he says. “Heterosexual players aren't questioned and ask ‘why should you exist in football?’. “Many individuals 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.” ‘Premier League player coming out would move mountains’ The player's choice to disclose his orientation helped prompt 17-year-old Blackpool forward Jake Daniels to announce he was gay as the UK's only openly gay active male professional footballer in spring 2022. However, there are no openly gay or bisexual players in the top English division. “It would create massive change,” says the footballer on the impact 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, identifying as LGBTQ is a very toxic place.” Twenty-seven years after a pioneering player - the UK's initial out soccer professional - died by suicide in 1998, Cavallo has discussed the “toxic masculinity” that still exists in professional soccer. “Simply attend to a game and see the unfriendly atmosphere and male-dominated culture that the audience creates,” he says. “Much remains to be done to make sure there is a safe space in football for individuals like me and Jake. “Progress has been limited (more players coming out) as frequently as desired. “I can only keep pushing for what I think is right, and strive for eliminating the toxic masculinity in soccer locker rooms and establishing secure environments.” ‘I'm here to create change’ The athlete was awarded an honorary degree 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 soccer has enabled discussions inside dressing rooms about revealing one's orientation. Yet, he is disapproving toward soccer's global governing body, after Qatar, where same-sex relationships are illegal, staged the global tournament in 2022. The 2034 tournament is scheduled in Saudi Arabia, where homosexuality is similarly prohibited. “Do I approve that the World Cup is in nations that criminalise same-sex marriages, where individuals like myself will be put in prison for just existing on that land? It's frightening,” says Cavallo. “I receive communications [from people living in these countries] saying ‘I face imprisonment for being who I am - can you help me?’. “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 don't accept the queer community. These places that tend to target me.” Nevertheless, Cavallo says he won't cease advocating. “Football has enabled dialogue in the changing room. It lets me communicate and inform individuals who want to learn more. “Not everyone is going to like you for who you are. But I've discovered support. I have found my community. “My purpose is to drive progress. That's my objective.”