October 27, 2021. It was a seismic day, not only for Adelaide United’s Josh Cavallo but the LGBTI+ community.
On that day almost two years ago, Cavallo came out as gay – the only Isuzu UTE A-League player to do so. At the time, he was also the only current male top-flight player in football to do so.
READ: ‘I remember walking out of my parents’ house feeling like I would never walk back in again’
A lot has changed since that momentous day. The 23-year-old’s courage led to Czech Republic international Jakub Jankto becoming the first LaLiga player to come out as gay after Blackpool youngster Jake Daniels did the same a year earlier.
The A-Leagues has also launched a multi-weekend Pride Celebration, which kicks off this weekend, in an effort to create a safer and more inclusive space for all in Australian football.
Headlining the Pride Celebration is the ‘Pride Cup’ double-header at AAMI Park between Melbourne Victory and Adelaide United on Sunday, on the back of the success of the Pride Cup in 2021.
“It’s been a dream, an absolute dream for me,” Cavallo told KEEPUP. “I never thought that day would come around where I would have the courage to come out and be myself and be open.
“It’s the best thing I’ve ever done. And me as a person, I’ve just grown so much on and off the field.
“So it’s just incredible and I’m just so excited to keep living out my life.”
Cavallo announcing his sexuality in 2021 drew support from the biggest names in football and beyond.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Antoine Griezmann, Raphael Varane, Gerard Pique, Marcus Rashford, Rio Ferdinand, Ricky Martin, Billie Jean King, Ellen Degeneres to name a few, in addition to Liverpool, Juventus, Bayern Munich, Manchester United and many more clubs around the world.
But it was the profound impact made, beyond football’s elite and celebrities across the world, that really hit home.
“I didn’t realise how many people it would affect, whether it’s mums, uncles, aunties, little kids that are boys and girls themselves,” said Cavallo.
For them to even recognise me and acknowledge me, it just takes my breath away. For them to come up to me and just say, ‘Josh, you helped my uncle come out’ or ‘you helped me come out to my family’ or ‘I feel like I have a place on this world because of your story’.
“Just stuff like that. And I don’t know these people personally, but… honestly it just has a special place in my heart and it makes me feel like everything I’ve done is for the positive and helping the sport grow in a better way.
“This whole thing for me coming out was for me to be authentic and that’s the whole thing that I’m sticking by.”
After this weekend’s Victory-Adelaide doubleheader, the Pride Celebration will continue the following week when Wellington Phoenix host Newcastle Jets and Brisbane Roar across the Isuzu UTE A-League and Liberty A-League at Sky Stadium on March 4.
Across the Pride Celebration, $1 from every ticket sold will be donated to Pride Cup’s community fund, supporting community clubs and the organisation’s own pride events, all in the name of inclusion, acceptance and support of the LGBTI+ community.
“At the end of the day, we’re all people. We’re all human beings. We all have families and we can all portray something on social media, but at the end of the day, you’re going to have your good days and you’re going to have your bad days,” he said.
“So it’s all normal to be human like that. I do get a lot of hate still to this day.
“And as I’ve always said it like this, you can bring on as much hate as you want and a much criticism, but if I’m helping benefit other people’s lives, I’m not stopping what I’m doing.
