AFL’s Gay Male Players Opt To Keep Their Sexuality Private To Avoid Being The First To Come Out
During a Leadership Matters lunch in Perth, Australian Football League CEO, Gillon McLachlan revealed that there are gay players in the AFL who have come out to their teammates but have opted to not publicly announce their sexuality to avoid the pressure of being the first male player in the league to do so. Many female AFLW (AFL Women) players have come out and participate in the league openly.
The AFLW competition has a Pride round, but there is no corresponding round in the men’s season, which has just one Pride match, traditionally played between St Kilda and Sydney’s men’s teams.
North Melbourne AFLW captain, Emma Kearney said last year that some clubs were more diverse and accepting than others and that not every locker room would be a comfortable place for a gay man.
Kearney said that there was a younger generation of players who were more accepting but, overall, she did not believe that there was an environment in the AFL men’s space where gay male players could be their true selves.
Kearney came out publicly in 2021 and weighed her privacy against the influence her coming-out might have on younger girls and women grappling with their sexuality.
In 2021, A-League player Josh Cavallo became the first male professional footballer (soccer) in Australia to come out as gay. However, Cavallo became the target of homophobic slurs from over the fence, death threats, and “hateful and hurtful messages” on social media.
What Is AFL?
For readers unfamiliar with Australian Rules Football, here’s what it’s all about.
