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Soccer Player Josh Cavallo Celebrates One Year of Coming Out As Gay
“During this past year, there are many bridges that have been built for the next generation,” he wrote in an emotional post.
Australian soccer player Josh Cavallo came out in October 2021 and became the first top-flight professional soccer player to identify as gay.
Since then, Cavallo has unfortunately faced a lot of obstacles and even got death threats from homophobic soccer fans who weren't pleased by his coming out. Fortunately, though, he also received a lot of love and support from other soccer fans and the LGBTQ+ community as a whole.
Now, the Aussie athlete is celebrating the one-year anniversary of his coming out and what he's been able to do with his platform so far. He wrote on Instagram:
"Today marks one year since I stood in front of a camera not knowing if there will ever be a future for me in sport. Taking that step in my life was not only for myself but for the people in this world that believe there is no place for them in sports. Thank you to every single one of you reading this for your support. You have not only [helped] me in my personal journey but you helped encourage so many others in the world to open their wings in becoming themselves. During this past year, there are many bridges that have been built for the next generation and I'm wanting to continue to help build these with my platform."
In recent times, Cavallo spoke out against the 2022 World Cup being held in Qatar - a country where being gay is still illegal. He also directly addressed David Beckham's support of the World Cup and his silence in regard to LGBTQ+ rights in Qatar.
It appears that Cavallo wants to use his platform as an out gay soccer player to make changes within the sport. Soccer is arguably the most popular sport on the planet, and there is still a lot of prejudice that happens on and off the field.
Congratulations to Cavallo for having one heck of a year for LGBTQ+ visibility and advocacy!
Bernardo Sim is the deputy editor of Out, as well as a writer and content creator. Born in Brazil, he currently lives in South Florida. You can follow him on Instagram at @bernardosim.
Bernardo Sim is the deputy editor of Out, as well as a writer and content creator. Born in Brazil, he currently lives in South Florida. You can follow him on Instagram at @bernardosim.
