Openly gay soccer player still receives online death threats regularly

Photo : AFP

Josh Cavallo, the first openly gay soccer player in Australia’s top league, has shared that he still gets death threats online, even four years after coming out. Despite the hate, he remains proud of his decision and keeps inspiring others.

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The 24-year-old plays for Adelaide United in the A-League. He spoke about his struggles on the FIFPro Footballers Unfiltered podcast. Cavallo said that being a gay player in football is still very hard.

“In football, being gay is still a toxic place,” he said. “We are still far from being accepted, sadly.”

In 2021, at the age of 21, Cavallo made history by coming out. His emotional video was shared worldwide and praised for bringing attention to the lack of openly gay male players in football.

Although Cavallo calls it “the best decision” he made, he admitted that he still faces a lot of hate. “I get many, many death threats every day. It’s really sad to see,” he shared.

He didn’t give details of the threats but said he has strong support. “I have my good days and bad days, but I’m free,” he said. “I go to bed happy. I’m Josh Cavallo. I’m a footballer. I’m a gay footballer, and I’m proud to say that.”

Cavallo also said he receives messages of support from people around the world. Many have thanked him for giving them the strength to be open about their sexuality.

“In my daily life, people come up to me and say I’ve helped them be brave at school or in their own lives,” he said.

However, the online hate is still hurtful. “On the other side, when I opened my social media this morning, the comments were disturbing,” he added.

Cavallo believes that his coming out made a big impact. His club shared his 2021 video, which helped change how people view gay athletes.

“That video changed how people see football,” he said. “It made the sport more accepting. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

But homophobia in football is still common. In 2022, Cavallo faced homophobic abuse during a game. The hate continues on social media today.

“I don’t like showing this side because it might scare people from coming out,” he said. “What I did in 2021 was great for me and the LGBTQ+ community, but sadly, we are still dealing with this hate every day.”

Many people have defended Cavallo. Peter Malinauskas, the leader of South Australia, where Adelaide United is based, condemned the abuse as “shameful” and “unacceptable.”

“It shows the cowardice of people hiding behind screens,” Malinauskas said. He praised Cavallo for his bravery, calling him an inspiring role model. “Josh should be proud of his courage.”

Despite the hate, Cavallo is determined to keep speaking out. He hopes his story will inspire more players to be themselves and make football more accepting for all.

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