Footballer Josh Cavallo Draws Line In Sand For Homophobic Trolls
The Adelaide United football star is one of the most prominent out gay footballers and is a champion for LGBTQIA+ rights and positive representation in sports. Despite his many fans and followers, Cavallo still receives hateful messages and homophobic comments on his posts.
In a recent Instagram album, Cavallo collected a number of these comments and put them in a collage calling out the trolls who wrote them. He captioned the posts saying: “Two years on from my coming out journey and I go through my everyday life being reminded how people wish me dead. To all you social media platforms, all I have to say to you is do better.”
Naming and shaming
The kinds of comments Cavallo references go beyond simple trolling; some users take it upon themselves to send him death threats or to wish him serious harm. He expressed on his post that he uses his social media to spread hope for LGBTQIA+ folks and to empower people in their own skin.
To quote in entirety, Cavallo wrote:
“I apologise in advanced for the next slide ahead. Please read with caution and contact any life line or support network if you may feel triggered in any way. I share my life via this social media platform to help individuals grow around the world. To feel empowered in their own skin. To be comfortable with the person they wish to be. I’m hand on heart so proud of how much my football club and the LGBTQIA+ community have grown in the world of football but we have to remember there is still a huge amount of work left.
“We are in 2023 and this behaviour can be more harmful than you think. Two years on from my coming out journey and I go through my everyday life being reminded how people wish me dead. To all you social media platforms, all I have to say to you is do better.”
Public figures like Cavallo are often in the spotlight and subject to vitriol from anonymous sources, but by naming a few of these trolls he is taking a stand and refusing to allow them to act unopposed. Cavallo also chose to keep all of their usernames uncensored so his followers can see in full who was making these comments.
The young footballer has spoken out in the past against anti-LGBTQIA+ institutions, groups and, on occasion, even fans of the game. Notably he previously exposed and criticised FIFA for hosting the World Cup in Qatar. In 2022, after fans from rival A-League side Melbourne Victory directed abuse at him, Football Australia fined the club AUD5,000 and praised Cavallo for courageously denouncing the unacceptable behaviour.
In continuing his legacy of standing against abuses and hate, Cavallo acts as a figure for LGBTQIA+ youth to look up to.
