🔗 Share this article

“You don't belong on this earth” ... “Why are you here?” ... “Don't take another breath.”

Since revealing he was gay in 2021, footballer the athlete has received daily death threats and abusive messages on online platforms.

“Upon reading those comments, I was devastated,” Cavallo states. “Nobody should have to endure such words.

“I'm trying to get better as a player and reach my full potential during matches, and then face criticism because of who I am. It's appalling.”

Midfielder the sportsman was playing for Adelaide United back in 2020 when he emerged as the sole publicly out top-flight male professional footballer in the world.

This summer he left Australia to join lower-tier club Peterborough Sports, who play in front of crowds of about 400 in the sixth division, one level below of English football.

The 25-year-old combines playing for the Cambridgeshire part-timers by advocating for LGBTQ+ issues and using his profile - boasting over a million followers on Instagram - to champion equality and inclusion.

“Definitely, we've got mountains to do,” the footballer says when questioned about ongoing issues with homophobia.

“I don't go more than a week without encountering problems.”

‘Individuals wish to hurt me’

It took years for Cavallo to build up the bravery to say “I am homosexual” before revealing his sexuality on 27 October 2021.

“All I want to do is play football and be treated equally,” he said in an related clip.

The player was twenty-one and making a name for himself at his Australian club in Australia's top flight when, with the support of his team-mates, he publicly came out.

“The future was uncertain. I didn't know what to expect,” he recalls. “It felt like the right time in my life. I wanted to take the next step.”

The heartfelt revelation clip, entitled ‘Josh's Truth’, gained massive attention on digital platforms.

“My mobile phone exploded with messages of support. It was overwhelming.”

Liverpool were one of many high-profile clubs around the world to show solidarity with the player, with the coach at the time the German manager saying: “I'm really thankful 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 far behind and you are helping us move forward”, while his former club released a comment supporting their “extraordinary” and “courageous” player.

Some people, however, were not so accepting.

The footballer quickly became a subject to anti-gay remarks by opposition fans.

In January 2022 Melbourne Victory were fined A$5,000 over anti-gay abuse from spectators aimed toward Cavallo during a game.

“The things I'd hear were painful and disparaging towards LGBTQ people,” he explains.

“I remained calm because I knew that would only feed the haters.”

A scary event occurred at a petrol station in Australia, where Cavallo was assaulted by an individual who identified him from the media attention.

“It was terrifying,” he recalls. “The thought crossed my mind ‘this is happening - individuals intend to hurt me’.

“Is it acceptable? Definitely not. But by coming out, this is what it brings.

“My wish is that the next person who comes out while playing football at a professional standard doesn't have to experience the journey I have endured.”

The player says the daily death threats and hostile communications have affected his mental health.

“It's quite sad because I must justify why I deserve a place on the football field for being who I am,” he states.

“Heterosexual players aren't questioned and ask ‘why should you exist in football?’.

“A lot of people see me as a smiling, positive person. But sometimes when I rely on my partner, Leighton, and he witnesses a lot that happens behind the scenes.”

‘Premier League player coming out would move mountains’

Cavallo's decision to disclose his orientation helped inspire teenage Blackpool forward another athlete to come out as the Britain's sole publicly out active male professional footballer in May 2022.

However, there are zero publicly LGBTQ athletes in the Premier League.

“It would move mountains,” comments Cavallo on the impact a elite athlete coming out would have.

“But I'm not going to sugar-coat it. Numerous frightening aspects that would await this individual. In the world of football, being an openly gay player 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 still exists in men's football.

“Simply attend to a game and observe the unfriendly atmosphere and masculinity that the audience creates,” he says.

“There is still a lot of work to ensure there is a safe space in soccer for people like myself and his colleague.

“We haven't seen it (more players coming out) as frequently as desired.

“My role is to continue advocating for principles I believe in, and work towards taking out the harmful male norms in soccer locker rooms and establishing secure environments.”

‘My mission is to drive progress’

Cavallo says soccer has enabled discussions inside dressing rooms about coming out.

However, he is critical of soccer's global governing body, after the Middle Eastern nation, where homosexual partnerships are against the law, hosted the men's World Cup in 2022.

Future World Cup is scheduled in Saudi Arabia, where same-sex attraction is similarly prohibited.

“Am I impressed that the World Cup is in countries that criminalise same-sex marriages, where people like me will be put in prison for merely living on their territory? It's frightening,” states Cavallo.

“I receive communications [from people living in these countries] saying ‘I'm about to be put in prison for being who I am - can you help me?’.

“It breaks my heart that people are getting locked up for being who they are.

“Certain nations that are huge in terms of football and they reject the queer community. These places that tend to target me.”

Nevertheless, the footballer says he will not stop speaking up.

“Soccer has allowed me to start conversations in the locker room. It has allowed me to speak and inform individuals who seek understanding.

“Not everyone is going to like you for who you are. But I've discovered support. I have found my community.

“My mission is to create change. That's what I'm here for.”