Identifying as LGBTQ+ in Professional Soccer: An Unwelcoming Atmosphere
“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.”
After announcing his homosexuality in 2021, footballer the athlete has received daily death threats and abusive messages on online platforms.
“When I first saw these messages, it broke my heart,” Cavallo states. “Nobody should have to endure such words.
“I'm working to improve my skills and reach my full potential on the pitch, and then face criticism due to my identity. It's appalling.”
Player Cavallo was at Adelaide United four years ago 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 compete before audiences of about 400 in National League North, the sixth tier of the English soccer system.
The 25-year-old balances his sports career for the semi-professional team by speaking up on inclusion matters and using his profile - boasting over a million followers on Instagram - to champion equality and inclusion.
“Absolutely, we've got mountains to do,” Cavallo says when asked if football still has a problem with discrimination.
“Rarely a week passes 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'm gay” before revealing his sexuality on October 27th, 2021.
“All I want to do is play football and receive fair treatment,” he said in an accompanying video.
Cavallo was twenty-one and building his reputation at Adelaide United in the premier division when, backed by his colleagues, he publicly came out.
“I didn't know what was ahead. I had no expectations,” he says. “The moment seemed appropriate in my life. I wanted to take the next step.”
The heartfelt revelation clip, entitled ‘His Personal Story’, gained massive attention on digital platforms.
“My phone was flooded with encouraging words. It was overwhelming.”
Liverpool were among numerous famous teams around the world to show solidarity with the player, with then manager Jurgen Klopp saying: “I appreciate that he did it 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 released a comment supporting their “extraordinary” and “courageous” player.
Others, however, were less welcoming.
The footballer soon turned into a target of homophobic abuse by rival supporters.
During early 2022 a competing team were fined A$5,000 over discriminatory chants from fans aimed toward Cavallo during a game.
“The things I'd hear were hurtful and disparaging towards my community,” he says.
“I remained calm 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 an individual who identified him from the media attention.
“That was a scary moment,” he remembers. “I remember thinking ‘this is happening - individuals intend to hurt me’.
“Should this be tolerated? Definitely not. But through my disclosure, these are the consequences.
“My wish is that the next person who reveals their orientation while playing football at a professional standard won't face the journey I have endured.”
The player says the daily death threats and abusive messages have affected his psychological well-being.
“It's quite sad because I must justify why I belong on the soccer pitch for my identity,” he states.
“Heterosexual players aren't questioned and ask ‘why should you exist in football?’.
“A lot of people 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 privately.”
‘Premier League player coming out would move mountains’
The player's choice to disclose his orientation helped inspire teenage Blackpool forward another athlete to announce he was gay as the Britain's sole publicly out playing soccer professional in May 2022.
However, there are no openly gay or bisexual players in the top English division.
“It would create massive change,” comments Cavallo on the effect a Premier League player revealing their orientation would make.
“But I'm not going to sugar-coat it. There are a lot of scary things that would await this individual. Within soccer culture, identifying as LGBTQ is a highly hostile environment.”
Twenty-seven years after a pioneering player - Britain's first openly gay male footballer - took his own life in 1998, the current athlete has discussed the “toxic masculinity” that still exists in professional soccer.
“Simply attend to a game and observe the unfriendly atmosphere and male-dominated culture that the audience creates,” he says.
“There is still a lot of work to ensure there is a secure environment in football for individuals like me and his colleague.
“We haven't seen it (additional athletes revealing their orientation) as much as we would like.
“I can only keep pushing for principles I believe in, and strive for eliminating the toxic masculinity in soccer locker rooms and creating a safe space.”
‘I'm here to create change’
Cavallo received an honorary doctorate from Flinders University in his former city in 2022, recognising his contributions as a inspirational figure in sport and a advocate for fairness
Cavallo says soccer has allowed him to have conversations inside dressing rooms about revealing one's orientation.
Yet, he is critical of soccer's global governing body, after Qatar, where homosexual partnerships are against the law, hosted the men's World Cup in 2022.
The 2034 tournament will be held in Saudi Arabia, where homosexuality is similarly prohibited.
“Do I approve that the global championship is in countries that criminalise same-sex marriages, where people like me will be imprisoned for merely living on that land? It's scary,” states the athlete.
“I receive communications [from residents of such nations] saying ‘I'm about to be put in prison for my identity - is assistance possible?’.
“It breaks my heart that people are getting locked up for their true selves.
“There are countries that are huge in terms of football and they don't accept the queer community. These places that tend to target me.”
Nevertheless, Cavallo says he will not stop speaking up.
“Football has enabled dialogue in the locker room. It has allowed me to speak and inform individuals 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 purpose is to create change. That's what I'm here for.”
