“There's still so much to accomplish” - Cavallo on anti-gay prejudice in football
“You don't belong on this earth” ... “What are you doing here?” ... “Stop breathing.”
After announcing he was gay in 2021, footballer the athlete has received daily death threats and hateful comments on social media.
“When I first saw these messages, I was devastated,” Cavallo states. “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 get put down because of who I am. It's appalling.”
Midfielder Cavallo was at Adelaide United four years ago when he became the only openly gay elite soccer player in the world.
This summer he departed from Australia to sign with non-league Peterborough Sports, who play in front of crowds of about 400 in the sixth division, the sixth tier of English football.
This young athlete combines playing for the Cambridgeshire part-timers by speaking up on inclusion matters and leveraging his platform - he has more than one million followers on Instagram - to promote fairness and inclusion.
“Definitely, there's enormous work ahead,” Cavallo says when asked if football still has a problem with discrimination.
“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 Cavallo to build up the bravery to say “I'm gay” before coming out on October 27th, 2021.
“All I want to do is compete in soccer and receive fair treatment,” he said in an accompanying video.
Cavallo was 21 and making a name for himself at his Australian club in Australia's top flight 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 wanted to take the next step.”
The heartfelt revelation clip, entitled ‘Josh's Truth’, went viral on social media.
“My phone was flooded with messages of support. The response was incredible.”
A prominent club were among numerous famous teams around the world to show solidarity with the player, with then manager the German manager saying: “I appreciate that he took this step because now we talk again.”
Barcelona defender Gerard Pique also offered support, posting online that “the world of football is lagging behind and your actions drive progress”, while his former club released a comment supporting their “remarkable” and “courageous” player.
Some people, however, were less welcoming.
Cavallo soon turned into a subject to anti-gay remarks by rival supporters.
In January 2022 a competing team were penalized A$5,000 over anti-gay abuse from spectators aimed toward Cavallo during a game.
“The things I'd hear were hurtful and disparaging towards LGBTQ people,” he says.
“I didn't react because responding would encourage detractors.”
There was a frightening incident at a gas station in Australia, where Cavallo was physically attacked by an individual who identified him from the coverage.
“That was a scary moment,” he remembers. “I remember thinking ‘this is real - individuals intend to hurt me’.
“Should this be tolerated? Definitely not. But through my disclosure, this is what it brings.
“I hope that future individuals who reveals their orientation while competing in soccer at a professional standard won't face the journey I have endured.”
Cavallo says the constant menacing messages and hostile communications have taken a toll on his mental health.
“It's disappointing because I am having to explain why I belong on the soccer pitch for my identity,” he states.
“We don't sit straight people down 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 witnesses much of what occurs behind the scenes.”
‘Top-tier athlete revealing orientation would create waves’
The player's choice to reveal his sexuality helped inspire teenage Blackpool forward Jake Daniels to announce he was gay as the UK's only openly gay active male professional footballer in spring 2022.
Nevertheless, there are zero publicly LGBTQ athletes in the top English division.
“It would create massive change,” comments Cavallo on the impact a Premier League player revealing their orientation would make.
“But I must be honest. There are a lot of scary things that would come this person's way. In the world of football, identifying as LGBTQ is a very toxic place.”
Twenty-seven years after Justin Fashanu - Britain's first openly gay male footballer - took his own life in 1998, Cavallo has spoken about the “toxic masculinity” that persists in men's football.
“You just need to go to a game and see the hostile environment and male-dominated culture that the audience creates,” he says.
“There is still a lot of work to make sure there is a safe space in football for people like myself and Jake.
“Progress has been limited (more players coming out) as frequently as desired.
“My role is to continue advocating for what I think is right, and strive for eliminating the toxic masculinity in football changing rooms and establishing secure environments.”
‘I'm here to create change’
The athlete was awarded an honorary degree from Flinders University in Adelaide in 2022, honoring his efforts as a inspirational figure in athletics and a champion for equality
The player says soccer has enabled discussions within team environments about coming out.
Yet, he is critical of soccer's global governing body, after Qatar, where same-sex relationships are illegal, hosted the men's World Cup in 2022.
Future World Cup 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 merely living on that land? It's frightening,” says the athlete.
“I get messages [from residents of such nations] saying ‘I face imprisonment for my identity - 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 reject LGBTQ+ people. These places that often focus on me.”
Despite this, the footballer says he won't cease advocating.
“Football has allowed me to start conversations in the changing room. It has allowed me to speak and inform individuals who want to learn more.
“Some will disapprove for who you are. But I have found my family. I've connected with similar people.
“My purpose is to create change. That's my objective.”
