A-League footballer Josh Cavallo says he still receives daily death threats more than three years after publicly revealing he was gay.
Cavallo was professional men’s football’s first openly gay player after coming out in 2021.
And while the 25-year-old Adelaide United squad member said it was the “best decision” he ever made to come out, it has come with “sad” consequences.
Watch the biggest Aussie sports & the best from overseas LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.
“There’s multiple, multiple, multiple death threats that come my way daily still, and it’s quite sad to see,” Cavallo told FIFPRO’s Footballers Unfiltered podcast.
“In the world of football, being an openly gay player is a very toxic place. It’s something that not everyone would be able to handle and go through.
“I still think we’re a very, very long way from acceptance in this space.
“It’s difficult to say to people ‘absolutely, come out, be yourself’. It also comes with a mountain of downsides as well that I don’t think people realise.”
However, Cavallo has no regrets about coming out.
“I got to a point in my life where I wanted to live authentically. I felt quite stuck and it did affect my mental health quite a lot,” he said.
“It was the best move and decision I’ve ever made. I’m proud of myself, the people around me, my support network and how we’ve correlated and changed things around football, but we also have to realise there’s still a long way to go.”
Cavallo said the assumption that gay men were “weaker” and “not masculine” needed to be challenged.
“That means they’re not going to be at their best, that means they’re not going to be the best footballer, and it has such a negative connotation to it,” he said.
“For me, showing weakness or showing something about yourself that you don’t think is the
strongest point doesn’t actually bring you down. It leads you into growing, growing into being a better person, growing into being a better player, (and) doing things that will improve your
game.
“I’m glad now I can step on the field and I can be who I am and in the competition of
Australia in the A-League.
“I haven’t come across anyone on the field that uses it in a negative way.”
Cavallo is yet play this season in the A-League, with his Adelaide United contract set to expire in June.
Discussion about this post