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Australia Soccer Cavallo Coming Out
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An Australian professional footballer has publicly said he is gay, adding he wanted to show “everyone is welcome in the game of football”.
Josh Cavallo, 21, currently plays as left-back for A-League Men’s side Adelaide United and has one cap for the national under-20s side.
In a post on social media, he said it was “astonishing to know there are no gay professional footballers who are out and actively playing” and that he wanted to show “others who identify as LGBTQ+ that they are welcome in the football community”.
https://t.co/CwrfpeWRVL— Josh Cavallo (@Josh Cavallo) 1635298214
His post has already been praised by players in the Australian women’s national side, with Chelsea’s Sam Kerr tweeting “Good for you” and Arsenal’s Caitlin Foord adding: “Respect the strength to speak out and own who you are”. Many other figures associated with the sport in Australia echoed these sentiments.
Good for you @JoshuaCavallo ❤️ https://t.co/kVwP2jXxch— Sam Kerr (@Sam Kerr) 1635299240
@JoshuaCavallo Respect, the strength to speak out and own who you are 🙌🏽🏳️🌈— Caitlin Foord (@Caitlin Foord) 1635299811
@JoshuaCavallo Huge Congratulations @JoshuaCavallo ❤️🏳️🌈. It takes great courage and trust to publicly come out. B… https://t.co/IZGpiw9RJh— Ryan Atkin (@Ryan Atkin) 1635316890
@JoshuaCavallo As the parent of a queer kid (and, you know, as a human being) I am giving you a big virtual maternal hug xx— Kerri Sackville (@Kerri Sackville) 1635302856
Overjoyed for any #LGBTQ+ person who finds their way to feeling comfortable about who they are, particularly in men… https://t.co/kx2nbA5xOI— Jon Holmes (@Jon Holmes) 1635316579
Well done @JoshuaCavallo 👏🏼. You’ll never know the full extent of your impact by coming out as a footballer but you… https://t.co/bT6MrBEG9y— Collin Martin (@Collin Martin) 1635315545
Everyone deserves to be themselves. Congratulations to @AdelaideUnited & @ALeagueMen player @JoshuaCavallo on your… https://t.co/kOs9wSGvqg— Pride Football Australia (@Pride Football Australia) 1635298571
In his post, Cavallo said: “Being a gay closeted footballer, I’ve had to learn to mask my feeling in order to fit the mould of a professional footballer.
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“Growing up being gay and playing football were just two worlds that hadn’t crossed paths before.
“In football, you only have a small window to achieve greatness, and coming out publicly may have a negative impact on a career.
“As a gay footballer, I know there are other players living in silence.
“I want to help change this, to show that everyone is welcome in the game of football, and deserves the right to be their authentic self.”
Numerous rival clubs in Australia also sung Cavallo’s praises and his bravery.
Well done for your courage today, @JoshuaCavallo. You’ll be a shining light for many future generations of footbal… https://t.co/fmcdBC6YKi— Sydney FC (@Sydney FC) 1635304730
Proud @JoshuaCavallo 💚🖤 https://t.co/wejOpJhJTW— Western United FC (@Western United FC) 1635298895
@JoshuaCavallo @Ryans_Rovers Proud of you Josh 👏💛— Wellington Phoenix (@Wellington Phoenix) 1635305311
The 21-year-old’s announcement comes just a few weeks before the A-League season is due to resume in November.
Cavallo is just one of a small handful of male footballers to have announced that they are gay while still playing the game. Andy Brennan of the Newcastle Jets came out in 2019, making him the first player in Australia to announce that he was gay.
The American Robbie Rogers, who once played for Leeds United, came out in 2013 when he was forced into early retirement at just 25. In 2014, the German star Thomas Hitzlsperger, who played for a number of English clubs, also came out after he had retired from the game.
Justin Fashanu was the first professional footballer to come out as gay in the early 1990s. In 2020 Fashanu was posthumously inducted into the National Football Museum’s Hall of Fame.