Josh Cavallo has told homophobes that “hate will never win” after being abused at an Australian A-League match between Adelaide United and Melbourne Victory.
The Adelaide defender became the first active top-flight player in men’s football to come out as gay last October, drawing support from fellow professionals across the world, but said he had “no words” to describe the abuse he received on Saturday night.
“I’m not going to pretend that I didn’t see or hear the homophobic abuse at the game last night,” Cavallo said on Instagram. “There are no words to tell you how disappointed I was.
“This shouldn’t be acceptable and we need to do more to hold people accountable. Hate never will win.
“I will never apologise for living my truth and most recently who I am outside of football.”
Cavallo said “there is no place” for the abuse he heard in Melbourne after coming on as a substitute in the 54th minute.
He added: “To all the young people who have received homophobic abuse, hold your heads up high and keep chasing your dreams. Know that there is no place in the game for this. Football is a game for everyone no matter of who you are, what colour your skin is or where you come from.”
The 22-year-old also called on Instagram to do more to stop abuse on its platform.
More from Football
“I don’t want any child or adult to have to receive the hateful and hurtful messages that I’ve received. I knew truely being who I am that I was going to come across this. It’s a sad reality that your platforms are not doing enough to stop these messages.”
The A-League issued a statement saying it was “shocked and saddened to hear reports of homophobic bullying . . . directed towards Josh Cavallo.
“There is no place for bullying, harassment or abuse in Australian football and we have zero tolerance for this harmful behavior.”
Cavallo can be a giant for next generation – analysis
By Daniel Storey (from October)
It would be lovely if Josh Cavallo hadn’t become internationally famous. He would have come out to his teammates and his coaches, just like he came out to his family. They would have offered their love and support and then Adelaide United would have got back to training, ready for the season ahead. The world would not read about Cavallo because Cavallo would not be deemed a special case.
But Cavallo is a news story because he now exists in a group of one. He is the only current top-flight male professional footballer to come out as gay. His courage is to be applauded, because he was clearly aware of the impact that his announcement would have. Adelaide United are to be applauded too because they had evidently created an environment in which Cavallo was comfortable to be himself.
The inevitable reply from some on social media – those who are being deliberately snide or snide through ignorance – is “so what?”. To that, the answer is exactly the same: he is the only one.
If Cavallo can discuss his experiences with the same maturity – he is a 22-year-old kid, remember – as he discussed his sexuality, he will make a difference. He will make life a little easier, make the journey to understanding and having pride in their sexuality. Cavallo’s route to this point may have been easier if there had been shoulders of giants to stand upon. Others can now stand upon his shoulders.
But then “so what?” is both a deeply cynical response and the ultimate aim. Why would a player’s sexuality make any difference to their ability to fulfill their potential as a footballer or be an excellent teammate or employee? There are no reasons. This is a news story because Josh Cavallo is an exception. He is an exception because football – and culture – has not yet created a climate in which others like him feel comfortable revealing all of themselves.
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3zFeFXL
Post a Comment