Joshua Cavallo, A professional soccer player in Australia, he has decided to openly declare himself gay while in active competition, an action that has been received with applause by several figures of that sport in the world.
In a videoCavallo, 21, said that “maybe, announcing it could have a negative impact on my career. gay footballer, I know other players who live it in silence. I want to help change it. ”
In a video posted by Joshua’s own team, Australia’s Adelaide United, in which he looks nervous and about to cry, Horse reports that “I finally feel comfortable talking about it in my life. I am proud to publicly announce that I am gay. It has been a long journey to get to this point in my life, but I couldn’t be happier with my decision to go public. “.
According to the player, in the world of football homosexuality is a taboo subject and a reason for segregation, something that must change. “I have been fighting my sexuality for over six years and now I am proud to be able to rest about it,” he said.
“It is astonishing to see that there are currently many gay footballers who play professionally and don’t ‘come out’, not just in Australia, all over the world. Hopefully this will change in the near future. I hope that by sharing who I am, I can show other people who identify as LGTBQ + that they are welcome in the soccer community. I want to help other players in my situation and let them know that they are not alone, “declared Joshua Cavallo in his video.
Many professional players have expressed their support for Joshua Cavallo for his statement of vindication and pride there. Among them, Gerard Piqué of Barcelona was one of the first:
Hey @JoshuaCavallo, I don’t have the pleasure to know you personally but I want to thank you for this step that you take. The world of football is far behind and you are helping us move forward. https://t.co/pe8xdJl15i
– Gerard Piqué (@ 3gerardpique) October 27, 2021
Soccer and homosexuality: a history of segregation and taboo
The topic of homosexuality in football has always been a taboo subject. In 1990 the first case of a soccer player to come out of the closet was known: Justin Fashanu, from England, who playing for Nottingham Forest came out as gay. He was the victim of harassment, ridicule and attacks for it, and lived a hard personal story that ended when he decided to take his own life.
In 2017 the English referee Ryan Atkins He also decided to declare his sexual orientation openly, in another case of claim and pride for the LGBTI community: “Being gay has no importance when it comes to refereeing a football match”, stated Atkins in interviews that year. “But if I speak of equality and diversity, I am going to mention that I am gay because it is pertinent,” he added.
Recently UEFA banned the presence of the multi-colored flag of the LGBTI community at the Allianz Arena in Munich, in Germany, an act widely criticized against the organization of the tournament.
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