First out gay footballer Josh Cavallo says he faces ‘multiple death threats’ every day
Joshua Cavallo of Adelaide. (Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
Gay footballer Josh Cavallo has revealed that he faces “multiple, multiple, multiple death threats” every day.
The 25-year-old midfielder and defender, who announced in December that he will be opening an LGBTQ+-inclusive hotel in Bali, told FIFPRO’s Footballers Unfiltered podcast about the threats he faces for being gay.
“There [are] multiple, multiple, multiple death threats that come my way daily still. It’s quite sad to see,” he said. “In the world of football, being an openly gay player is a very toxic place. It’s something that not everyone would be able to handle.
“We’re still a very, very long way off being [accepted] in this space.”
The Adelaide United star went on to say: “So, these are factors that people will consider in their coming out and they might not be out now but coming out brings all this attention, it brings all this pressure, all this negativity that will affect their game.”
The former Western United player, who has represented Australia at under-20 level, made history as the first active openly gay male professional footballer, coming out more than three years ago, in an emotional statement in which he said he had been fighting his sexuality for six years.
“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,” he said. “Growing up gay and playing football were two worlds that hadn’t crossed paths before.”
He got engaged to electrician Leighton Morrell, in March last year, proposing on the pitch at Adelaide United’s Coopers Stadium.
He has been open about the homophobia he has faced since coming out and, in December 2023, issued a message to homophobes who sent him death threats and urged social media platforms to “do better”.
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