This week Adelaide United’s Josh Cavallo announced that he was gay.
It is sad that today such an announcement is still met with words such as ‘courageous’ and ‘brave,’ especially so in a country such as Australia.
Over half of the population when polled regularly between 2007 and 2018 when same-sex marriage was finally legalised were in favour of such a union. Also in a country where the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in Sydney is one of the nation’s biggest Tourism attractions. In fact the Australian Human Rights Commission reported that “11 out of 100 Australians are of diverse sexual orientation, sex or gender identity.”
Yet in a country that promotes diversity there is still a push for the Australian male to be tough and rugged, the stereotypical image from almost half a century ago.
What is upsetting is when you read that 6 out of 10 homosexuals are victims of verbal homophobic abuse and 2 in 10 of physical homophobic abuse. Even more telling are the statistics produced by the Australian Human Rights commission in which they reveal that 34% of LGBGTI people hide their sexuality or gender identity when accessing services, and 42% when being a part of community or social events.
When you read these statistics, and there are others that are equalling damning one can understand why those who “come out” when working in such a male environment are deemed as ‘brave’ and ‘courageous.’
As is the case in most incidents of prejudice, education is the key. As education helps give people a greater understanding, and with that greater understanding fear subsides.
Since the announcement by Cavallo one former international athlete admitted that they played with a team mate who ‘came out.’ They admitted that essentially nothing changed, the team remained the same and their goals were the same, however there was a change whether they liked it or not. As this athlete explained suddenly whether it was conscious or sub-conscious a change had taken place. While the person who came out may have felt more relaxed some of those around them no longer felt as relaxed as they did previously. If the said player hugged or touched them – which they had probably done many many times before – some started to question if there was more to that touch. Some, no doubt vainly, wondered if they were now an object of desire. The point that they were trying to make was while the individual concerned now felt at ease coming out, some of their team mates no longer felt at ease.
Whose job is it to manage such a situation? Surely education and discussion would make this situation easier for both parties?
What has been disappointing has been the laziness on the part of some media outlets across Australia who have heralded Cavallo as being the first professional footballer to ‘come out” while still actively playing. He may well be the first in Australia, but is not the first in the world. Had some of these outlets sat down and researched the issue a little more one feels that they could have played a part in easing the situation for other players like Cavallo to be able to open up about their sexuality
It has been widely accepted that Englishman Justin Fashanu was the first player to come out. Rumours of Fashanu being homosexual had followed him from club to club and even surfaced when he came out to Australia on loan from Norwich City in 1980 and played for Adelaide City in the old National Soccer league. Fashanu agreed to an exclusive with The Sun newspaper to come out as gay, and the newspaper ran the headline as “£1m Football Star: I AM GAY” on 22 October 1990.
Fashanu continued to play professional football up until 1997. Sadly in 1998 following accusations of a homosexual act in the state of Maryland in the USA, where such acts were illegal, Fashanu fled the United States. Two months later his life ended in a garage in London where he was found hanged. His story is extremely tragic, as he was such a gifted footballer, and by all accounts a very likeable individual.
Another player who has come out while still playing is the son of former Swedish International and Liverpool defender Glenn Hysén. Anton Hysén came out in March 2011 and continued to play for his Swedish Club until 2013 in the lower divisions of the Swedish football league system. Interestingly when he “came out” the BBC called him “a global one-off.” In the story they published Anton was quoted as saying “It’s hard to be a gay player, because there are so many jokes about ‘playing like a man’.”
What is disappointing is when one reads that for gay players outside of the professional game most of the abuse they receive is from fellow players, yet should we be surprised? At the highest level most of the abuse comes from the fans. Those fans are often the ones playing outside of the professional game.
It is interesting and important to remember this. Top flight sport is about trying to find weakness in your opponent, tactically, technically, physically or emotionally. It is a fierce and brutal environment, and one that can be extremely lonely. For every player that succeeds there are hundreds if not thousands waiting to take their place. It would appear that fellow professionals respect the player first and their ability, and do not see their sexuality as a weakness.
If you look at how some heterosexual players have been treated when rumours have circulated claiming that they were gay one can understand why some players are loathe to come out until after their careers are over. Former Chelsea, Blackburn and Southampton defender Graeme le Saux copped more than his fair share of abuse. He believed that the rumours that he was homosexual started circulating after he said that he had spent a summer holiday with one of his Chelsea teammates, Ken Monkou. Yet how many same sex friends go on holiday with work colleagues in their early 20’s and no one says a thing? When asked to explain why he thought that the rumours had followed him throughout his career le Saux stated that he attributed this to his lack of enthusiasm for the “typical” footballer’s lifestyle, his university background, and the fact that he read a left-wing broadsheet newspaper, The Guardian.
One of the reasons it has been claimed that gay players, particularly in the men’s game, do not talk up is to avoid abuse. Others who have come out once they have retired have claimed that they were told to keep quiet, as it would affect their earning potential. One of those who advocated such an approach was English publicist Max Clifford. In an interview with Pink News in 2009 he was quoted as saying “I have been advising a top premiership star who is bisexual. If it came out that he had gay tendencies, his career would be over in two minutes. Should it be? No, but if you go on the terraces and hear the way fans are, and also, that kind of general attitude that goes with football, it’s almost like going back to the dark ages.” Once again the general public are highlighted as being the problem, not their fellow professionals.
Football may like to promote itself as moving with the times in terms of its television coverage, the high-tech boots that players wear, its domination of social media and billion-pound tournaments, but if employees in the industry are not allowed to live their lives by being true to who they are how far has the sport really come?
Josh Cavallo admitted this week that it had taken six years of fighting with the decision to come out publicly. Read that sentence again. ‘Six years fighting with the decision,’ that is 312 weeks, an awfully long time to have something hanging over you.
While he has revealed that he has received a great deal of support it would have been good if media outlets had talked about others who have travelled that same path. Other players who had also had the courage to ‘come out,’ as no doubt those thinking about following Cavallo they would take heart from the fact that they are not alone, and that around the world other players have also stepped out of the shadows and stood tall and proud because of who they are.
Then of course there is the game itself. There needs to be more discussion and education to make us more understanding and accepting. Yet the shift needs to come from the top. The world knows how Qatar won the hosting rights to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, but in this day and age how can any sporting body with a conscience give hosting rights to nations with know human rights issues, or some may argue where homosexuality is banned.
While every country is driven by a different culture and different beliefs which should be respected when you visit such places, one has to question the mixed messages being sent by on one hand claiming to embrace equality of the sexes, and creating a welcome environment for LGBGTI athletes to perform at the highest level, but then awarding your blue riband tournament to a place that does not share those beliefs, goals and objectives.
It shows that sport has lost its moral compass. That it is no longer about fair play and a level playing field. It is proof that sport has sold its soul and the words of its leaders are like those of our politicians, hollow.
