Adelaide United Football Club, an Australian soccer team, says it is proud of midfielder Josh Cavallo for coming out as gay. In a video released by the team titled "Josh's Truth," the 21-year-old says all he wants to do is play the sport and be treated equally, CNN reports. "I know there are other players living in silence," he says. "I want to help change this, to show that everyone is welcome in the game of football and deserves the right to be their authentic self." On social media, he received messages of support from top-level clubs worldwide including FC Barcelona and Juventus, reports NPR.
As in other sports, openly gay men are a rarity in soccer in Australia and worldwide. Monash University researcher Erik Denison says Cavallo is the first A-League soccer player to come out while still playing and only the fourth Australian man to come out as gay at the elite level in any sport, the AP reports. "Growing up, I always felt the need to hide myself, because I was ashamed," Cavallo says in the video. "Ashamed I would never be able to do what I love and be gay, hiding who I really am to pursue a dream I always wished for as a kid."
Cavallo was praised for his courage by teammates and head coach Carl Veart. "Josh is a tremendous young man and has shown incredible courage to be one of very few professional sportsmen to be this brave," Veart said, per the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. "I want all my players to feel comfortable and happy being their own person, on and off the park." (More soccer stories.)
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