Adelaide United player Josh Cavallo comes out as gay

[freeeki]

Some of you may have seen this already today, but I thought this was really moving:



Incredibly well handled by his club, and it's encouraging to see players such as Pique and Griezmann, as well as big clubs such as Liverpool, Juventus and FC Barcelona, as well as smaller ones like Arsenal, openly sharing their support for him.

I hope our social media team get on it sooner rather than later.

Very brave move at 21 years old, and it makes him the only "out" footballer in any top-flight league.

 

[GMI]

Very brave but so glad this has happened. As you say, very well handled by the player and club.

Hopefully other clubs and players come out to show support to Josh and create a positive environment for players to start feeling comfortable to be themselves.

On a related point, based on recent events, would Newcastle be able to make a statement showing solidarity when considering their ownership?

 

[freeeki]

Very brave but so glad this has happened. As you say, very well handled by the player and club.

Hopefully other clubs and players come out to show support to Josh and create a positive environment for players to start feeling comfortable to be themselves.

On a related point, based on recent events, would Newcastle be able to make a statement showing solidarity when considering their ownership?

I would be amazed to see Newcastle, PSG, City or Chelsea saying anything positive, given their ownership.

Although the more interesting one to keep an eye on might be Melbourne City - same league as Adelaide United, same ownership as Manchester City.

 

[EighteenEightyTwo]

I would be amazed to see Newcastle, PSG, City or Chelsea saying anything positive, given their ownership.

Although the more interesting one to keep an eye on might be Melbourne City - same league as Adelaide United, same ownership as Manchester City.

Wouldn't this go against what the sportswashing is trying to achieve? Isn't a key point of the Newcastle takeover to get LGBTQ fan groups talking about how progressive the Saudi establishment is?

 

[freeeki]

Wouldn't this go against what the sportswashing is trying to achieve? Isn't a key point of the Newcastle takeover to get LGBTQ fan groups talking about how progressive the Saudi establishment is?

I'll believe it when I see it

 

[Albertbarich]

Brave brave man.

I hope he continues to get all the backing and support in the world and becomes the first of many.

People shouldn't have to hide their sexuality.

 

[freeeki]

 

[TheTanguy]

Why wouldn't you come out, especially in an ultra liberal country like Australia (Saudi Arabia would be a different matter). What's the worst that can happen? ?

Jesus, it's almost 2022

 

[freeeki]

Why wouldn't you come out, especially in an ultra liberal country like Australia (Saudi Arabia would be a different matter). What's the worst that can happen? ?

Jesus, it's almost 2022

Is Australia an ultra-liberal country?

One fifth of Australians still oppose equal rights as of 2020.

39% voted against equal marriage in the 2017 referendum.

You only need a small number of those people to be in the opposition stands when you're playing against other teams to be at risk of an incredibly hostile reception.

 

[TheTanguy]

Is Australia an ultra-liberal country?

Well, it is compared to many many other countries in the world. You can live a perfectly normal and save life there as a homosexual.

 

[freeeki]

Well, it is compared to many many other countries in the world. You can live a perfectly normal life there as a homosexual.

Yes, much like you can here.

Which must be why there have been so many openly gay Premier League players...

 

[Dougal]

Well played that man. Hopefully he gets a positive reaction and then is allowed to get back to concentrating on playing football. Always hope that the floodgates open when this happens, with Rogers, Hitzlsperger, etc. The whole situation just needs a few higher profile names doing this at the same time to finally end the madness. Easier said than done sadly. Crazy that we live in an age where this is still such a taboo. Especially with so many openly gay public figures in all walks of life.

 

[ERO]

Some of you may have seen this already today, but I thought this was really moving:



Incredibly well handled by his club, and it's encouraging to see players such as Pique and Griezmann, as well as big clubs such as Liverpool, Juventus and FC Barcelona, as well as smaller ones like Arsenal, openly sharing their support for him.

I hope our social media team get on it sooner rather than later.

Very brave move at 21 years old, and it makes him the only "out" footballer in any top-flight league.

Well played, Mr Cavallo.

But I think the quotation marks should probably go to "top-flight league"

 

[freeeki]

 

[Marty]

Wouldn't this go against what the sportswashing is trying to achieve? Isn't a key point of the Newcastle takeover to get LGBTQ fan groups talking about how progressive the Saudi establishment is?

I'll believe it when I see it

Well what @EighteenEightyTwo says is exactly right. The whole point is getting groups like Newcastle's LGBT group to SAY how this might be a catalyst for change without Saudi actually having to enact any change. So they get good publicity without having to do anything.

 

[RickyVilla]

Well done mate.

 

[CoopsieDeadpool]

I would be amazed to see Newcastle, PSG, City or Chelsea saying anything positive, given their ownership.

Although the more interesting one to keep an eye on might be Melbourne City - same league as Adelaide United, same ownership as Manchester City.

It's absolutely brilliant that clubs are being so supportive of the lad.

But I (sadly) feel it's not the clubs reactions that are going to matter here.

It's the knuckle dragging morons that do still unfortunately attend games on the terraces.

We know they exist, and we know that they won't be able to keep their poisoned mouths shut at the first opportunity to hurl their homophobic abuse at the lad.

I know many will disagree. But this is where I'd hope the majority of the more accepting side of society would pile in & shut the ****s up once and for all!.

 

[allatsea]

Well done Josh. I hope you coming out encourages more players to be open about their sexuality .

 

[Metalhead]

Good. It's insane really that players are unable to have confidence that the modern football fan is capable of dealing with it. Pretty much every industry (including the macho world of professional wrestling) can deal with people being gay and yet professional football is still stuck in a past where if you are gay (and let's face it there are absolutely certainly men in professional football who are gay) then you have to remain 'in the closet'.

 

[aliyid]

You’d like to think it doesn’t matter and I’m pretty sure for 99.9% of the fans they couldn’t care less what happens off the field (if Paul Scholes can suck his 20yr old daughters toes then why should it bother people if somebody’s dating a guy)

The big problem comes from the media side as they love to have an angle they can use to generate clicks. Hatred / judgement drives most of that side (just look at the James McClean stuff that always comes around on Poppy Day)

Hopefully there will be a wave of players that see the positivity and come out at the same time. If we only get one or two then it’ll remain a thing but if we get 10-20 all come out people will shrug and go ‘yeah that makes sense’