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Australian soccer star Josh Cavallo had a powerful message to homophobes who've been sending him death threats ever since he came out as gay in October 2021.
The 24-year-old A-League Men midfielder also shared screenshots of some of the vile comments he received from homophobic trolls, and encouraged social media platforms to "do better" to prevent the online bullying of LGBTQ+ people.
At the time, his coming out was significant in that there had been no other professional top-flight soccer players who publicly identified as LGBTQ+.
Unfortunately, coming out as gay in sports remains stigmatized today, leaving many closeted pro athletes discouraged from living authentically in the public eye.
Cavallo, who has been using his platform to advocate for supporting LGBTQ+ athletes, took to Instagram and wrote:
"I share my life via this social media platform to help individuals grow around the world. To feel empowered in their own skin. To be comfortable with the person they wish to be."
"I’m hand on heart so proud of how much my football club and the LGBTQIA+ community have grown in the world of football but we have to remember there is still a huge amount of work left."
He added that, even in 2023, the slightest anti-LGBTQ+ abuse "can be more harmful than you think."
"Two years on from my coming out journey and I go through my everyday life being reminded how people wish me dead," he said.
He apologized for the second slide in his post that included examples of hateful comments, and he warned followers to:
"Please read with caution and contact any life line or support network if you may feel triggered in any way."
One commenter wrote, "You will die."
A second called for him to be put "in mental asylum," while another wrote, "Waste of a human being soo annoying."
@joshua.cavallo/Instagram
Cavallo ended the post with:
"To all you social media platforms, all I have to say to you is do better."
Many people lauded his courage for speaking out and reminded the star player that there were more supporters than haters.
@joshua.cavallo/Instagram
@joshua.cavallo/Instagram
@joshua.cavallo/Instagram
@joshua.cavallo/Instagram
@joshua.cavallo/Instagram
@joshua.cavallo/Instagram
@joshua.cavallo/Instagram
@joshua.cavallo/Instagram
Cavallo plays as a left-back and central midfielder for A-League Men club Adelaide United in South Australia.
He was rewarded with Adelaide United's A-League Rising Star award after a successful 2020–21 campaign.
On October 26, 2021, the club supported him by sharing his emotional coming out video on its social media pages.
Cavallo previously worried about how coming out would negatively impact his career, and he mentioned that he knew of 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."
“I hope that in sharing who I am, I can show others who identify as LGBTQ+ that they are welcome in the football community."
He added:
"As the game of football keeps expanding, I want to help evolve the game even further, and let other players in my situation feel that they’re not alone.”
LGBTQ+ Youth can get help through:
- TrevorChat — 24/7/365 at https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help-now/#services
- TrevorLifeline — phone service available 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386
- TrevorText — Text “START” to 678678. Available 24/7/365.
- TrevorSpace — online international peer-to-peer community for LGBTQ young people and their friends at https://www.trevorspace.org/
- Trevor Support Center — LGBTQ youth & allies can find answers to FAQs and explore resources at https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/trevor-support-center/#sm.0000121hx9lvicotqs52mb1saenel