Adelaide United's Josh Cavallo has become the first active men's player in Australia's A-League to come out as gay. The 21-year-old is one of very few male footballers around the world to make the announcement while still playing.
Cavallo's decision to come out publicly was centred around encouraging others to be more open and accepting of themselves and their sexuality. Cavallo on Wednesday became a rarity in men’s professional sport, announcing on social media he was “ready to speak about something personal that I’m finally comfortable to talk about in my life”. The Twitter post and emotive personal video, shared by his club Adelaide United, has since made international headlines.
“It’s been a journey to get to this point in my life, but I couldn’t be happier with my decision to come out,” he wrote. “I have been fighting my sexuality for over six years now, and I’m glad I can put that to rest. For the people that know me personally, you’ll know I’m a private person. Growing up, I always felt the need to hide myself because I was ashamed. Ashamed I would never be able to do what I loved and be gay. Hiding who I truly am, to pursue a dream I always wished for as a kid, to play football and be treated equally never felt like a reality."
“Being a gay closeted footballer, I’ve had to learn to mask my feelings in order to fit the mould of a professional footballer. Growing up being gay and playing football were just two worlds that hadn’t crossed paths before. I’ve lived my life assuming that this was a topic never to be spoken about.” He added.
There are globally only a handful of openly gay male footballers, none of whom are playing in the top flight. Thomas Hitzlsperger, the German former Aston Villa, Stuttgart, Lazio, West Ham, Wolfsburg and Everton player is among the most high profile but waited until the year after he retired in 2013 before coming out publicly. Former Premier League midfielder Thomas Hitzlsberger waited until a year after he retired before announcing he was gay. Similarly, former Leeds midfielder Robbie Rogers announced he was gay when he retired in 2013 before then returning to play for LA Galaxy and won the MLS Cup.
There are very few gay professional footballers active today. One of those is midfielder Collin Martin, who plays in the second tier of US football for San Diego Loyal. Cavallo has quickly received support on social media for coming out with Australia women's national team star Sam Kerr tweeting her support of his decision.
Sydney FC veteran Alex Wilkinson also praised Cavallo's bravery in stepping forward. “It’s fantastic that Josh has found our sport and his club to be a safe place to share his sexuality," Wilkinson said.
Cavallo said he had been worried that coming out may negatively impact his career, adding that he knew there were 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,” he wrote. “It is astonishing to know that there are currently no gay professional footballers who are out and actively playing, not only in Australia, but around the world. Hopefully this will change in the near future."
Cavallo broke the news publicly with the full support of his family, friends and club. Reds chief executive Nathan Kosmina and coach Carl Veart both expressed pride in their player and teammate Ben Halloran, praised the “great courage” needed to make this announcement.
A talented player, Cavallo represented Australia's under-20s national team in 2018 and enjoyed a brief stint with Melbourne Victory's youth squad before signing with Western United. The talented midfielder spent 18 months with Western United as they found their feet in the A-League before signing with Adelaide. Cavallo also revealed his ambition to play international football for Australia or Malta where his parents were born.