Josh Cavallo, who was the first active professional soccer player to acknowledge his homosexuality, ensured that he continued to receive death threats for his sexual condition.
Cavallo, in an interview with the BBC, spoke about his experience in social networks since he decided to reveal that he was gay almost two years ago, in a historic moment for football, as he was the first player in his degree to do so and has inspired others to follow in his footsteps.
“Sometimes I’m at home with my phone in my hand and I receive a notification of an insult. It’s hard, because it’s been almost two years and I’ve been getting death threats. It’s not acceptable, it’s not pleasant, but at the same time I know already. I opened the way for many others and to do this I had to go through it. I know what I’m going through this for, for people who suffer in silence”, admitted Cavallo, who also recalled the moment where he told his colleagues in Adelaide, club in Australia, his decision to go public with his sexual condition.
The reaction from the Adelaide United dressing room
“We were all in the dressing room and I told them who I was. Everyone was crying, which was wonderful, because they were like my brothers and I never saw that side of them. This celebration together, an important step for the life of me, I couldn’t be more proud of them. I wondered why he hid it for so long. After that, I went to the car, posted my message (in which he came out as gay), put my phone in the glove box and go home. My life has completely changed.”
Since Cavallo’s announcementother players followed in his footsteps, such as Blackpool’s Jake Daniels who was the first British footballer to come out as gay while active.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
