Identifying as LGBTQ+ in Professional Soccer: A Toxic Environment
“We've got mountains to do” - Cavallo on homophobia in football
“You shouldn't exist” ... “Why are you here?” ... “Stop breathing.”
After announcing he was gay in 2021, footballer the athlete has received daily death threats and abusive messages on online platforms.
“When I first saw these messages, I was devastated,” Cavallo explains. “Nobody should have to endure such words.
“I'm working to improve my skills and be the best I can be on the pitch, and then face criticism because of who I am. It's appalling.”
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 compete before audiences of about 400 in National League North, the sixth tier of English football.
The 25-year-old combines playing for the Cambridgeshire part-timers by speaking up on inclusion matters and using his profile - boasting over a million followers on Instagram - to promote fairness and acceptance.
“Definitely, we've got mountains to do,” the footballer comments when questioned about ongoing issues with homophobia.
“I don't go more than a week without hearing about an issue.”
‘Individuals wish to hurt me’
The player was raised in Melbourne
It took years for the athlete to work up the courage to say “I am homosexual” before coming out on 27 October 2021.
“All I want to do is play football and be treated equally,” he stated in an accompanying video.
Cavallo was 21 and making a name for himself at his Australian club in Australia's top flight when, backed by his colleagues, he publicly came out.
“The future was uncertain. I had no expectations,” he recalls. “It felt like the right time in my life. I needed to move forward.”
The heartfelt revelation clip, titled ‘His Personal Story’, went viral on digital platforms.
“My mobile phone exploded with messages of support. The response was incredible.”
Liverpool 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 it sparks conversation.”
Spanish player Gerard Pique also expressed backing, writing on social media that “soccer culture is far behind and you are helping us move forward”, while his former club issued a statement backing their “remarkable” and “courageous” player.
Others, however, were less welcoming.
The footballer soon turned into a subject to anti-gay remarks by opposition fans.
In January 2022 Melbourne Victory were fined five thousand dollars over anti-gay abuse from fans directed at the player during a match.
“The things I'd hear were painful and disparaging towards LGBTQ people,” he explains.
“I didn't react because I knew that would only feed the haters.”
A scary event occurred at a gas station in Australia, where the athlete was physically attacked by an individual who identified him from the media attention.
“It was terrifying,” he remembers. “I remember thinking ‘this is real - people want to harm me’.
“Is it acceptable? Definitely not. But by coming out, this is what it brings.
“I hope that future individuals who comes out while playing football at a high level doesn't have to experience the path I have experienced.”
Cavallo says the daily death threats and hostile communications have affected 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 states.
“Heterosexual players aren't questioned and ask ‘what gives you the right in football?’.
“Many individuals see me as a cheerful, optimistic person. But there are days when I lean on my fiance, his name, and he gets to see a lot that happens behind the scenes.”
‘Premier League player coming out would move mountains’
The player's choice to reveal his sexuality helped inspire 17-year-old Blackpool forward Jake Daniels to come out as the Britain's sole publicly out 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,” comments Cavallo on the effect a Premier League player revealing their orientation would have.
“But I'm not going to sugar-coat it. Numerous frightening aspects 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 - the UK's initial out soccer professional - took his own life in 1998, the current athlete has spoken about the “toxic masculinity” that persists in professional soccer.
“You just need to go to a match and observe the hostile environment and masculinity that the crowd brings,” he says.
“Much remains to be done to make sure there is a secure environment in soccer for people like myself and his colleague.
“Progress has been limited (more players coming out) as frequently as desired.
“I can only keep pushing for principles I believe in, and work towards taking out the harmful male norms in football changing rooms and creating a safe space.”
‘I'm here to create change’
Cavallo received an honorary doctorate from Flinders University in Adelaide in 2022, recognising his contributions as a inspirational figure in sport and a advocate for fairness
The player says soccer has allowed him to have conversations inside dressing rooms about coming out.
However, he is critical of Fifa, after the Middle Eastern nation, where homosexual partnerships are illegal, staged the global tournament in 2022.
Future World Cup is scheduled in another Gulf state, where same-sex attraction is also illegal.
“Do I approve that the global championship is in nations that criminalise same-sex marriages, where individuals like myself will be imprisoned for merely living on that land? It's frightening,” says Cavallo.
“I get messages [from residents of such nations] saying ‘I'm about to be put in prison for being who I am - is assistance possible?’.
“It breaks my heart that individuals are incarcerated for being who they are.
“Certain nations that are significant soccer markets and they reject the queer community. These places that tend to target me.”
Despite this, Cavallo says he won't cease advocating.
“Soccer has enabled dialogue in the locker room. It has allowed me to speak and educate people who want to learn more.
“Not everyone is going to like you for your identity. But I have found my family. I've connected with similar people.
“My mission is to create change. That's what I'm here for.”
