Acceptance of gay people in sport is still in its infancy, but things are clearly going in the right direction. After several coming out personalities especially in France where athletes have decided to speak to advance their cause, it is now a football player who has taken the plunge. Josh cavallo spoke through his social networks, but also on television to talk about his homosexuality, becoming the first active footballer to openly say so.
A first that he decided to do on his Twitter account by publishing this Wednesday, October 27, 2021 a series of photos with a long and courageous message, as well as an explanatory video. The 21-year-old Australian footballer explains the reasons that led him to make this decision. “I’m a soccer player and I’m gay. All I want is to play soccer and be treated fairly (…) It’s been a long journey to get here, but I couldn’t be more happy with my decision to come out. I’ve been fighting my sexuality for over six years now, and I’m glad I can put that aside. “, he explains.
I had to learn to hide my feelings to fit into the mold of a professional footballer
It took courage for the young man to finally open up to his homosexuality, especially in a world like football. “As a gay footballer, I had to learn to hide my feelings to fit into the mold of a professional footballer. Growing up being gay and playing football is not easy “, he reveals.