I long for a day when gay footballers like me and Josh Cavallo don’t need to be so ‘brave’ | A-League Men | The Guardian

Contents:

• I LONG FOR A DAY WHEN GAY FOOTBALLERS LIKE ME AND JOSH CAVALLO DON’T NEED TO BE SO ‘BRAVE’
• GAY PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLER 'VERY LIKELY' TO E OUT NEXT YEAR, SAYS JT FASHANU'S NIECE
• JAKE DANIELS: BLACKPOOL FORWARD BE UK'S FIRST ACTIVE MALE PROFSNAL FOOTBALLER TO E OUT PUBLICLY AS GAY
• 8 MALE FOOTBALL PLAYERS WHO DARED TO COME OUT AS GAY
• ATRALIAN FOOTBALLER JOSH CAVALLO BE ONLY OPENLY GAY MALE PROFSNAL PLAYER
• GRAEME SOUNS EXPLAS WHY THERE ARE NO OPENLY GAY FOOTBALLERS THE PREMIER LEAGUE AND REVEALS TNAL VIS TO BRIGHTON PRI PARA
• GAY PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLER 'UNRGOG THERAPY' OVER FEARS OF FAN ABE
• GAY PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLER TORTURED BY FEARS HE’LL BE ‘CCIFIED’ FOR G OUT
• GAY PLAYERS THE PREMIER LEAGUE? EVERTON UPLE SET TO E OUT 2023

I LONG FOR A DAY WHEN GAY FOOTBALLERS LIKE ME AND JOSH CAVALLO DON’T NEED TO BE SO ‘BRAVE’

I know this bee I too, like Josh, announced I was gay May of 2019.

Growg up, I had no gay role mols, no one to look up to and see that is OK to be gay and play football.

Instead I grew up hearg thgs like “Oh, that’s so gay”, gay beg ed as a word to reprent somethg distasteful, somethg that someone didn’t like. While this type of homophobia was everywhere, was particularly bad mascule environments.

GAY PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLER 'VERY LIKELY' TO E OUT NEXT YEAR, SAYS JT FASHANU'S NIECE

It was not only graed me that football and beg gay was a no-go, but beg gay self was agast the g out, you first mt learn to accept yourself for who you are. Sportg associatns like the PFA (the players’ unn) have an important role helpg gay players, and was the PFA who helped facilate my g out. I am proud to be gay.

Lookg back, what I really thk is brave and urageo has been seeg my teammat or iends fight back agast homophobic ments. 'I'm a footballer and I'm gay': A-League player Josh Cavallo talks about his sexualy – vioAfter g out durg a trag ssn a player ed a homophobic slur.

JAKE DANIELS: BLACKPOOL FORWARD BE UK'S FIRST ACTIVE MALE PROFSNAL FOOTBALLER TO E OUT PUBLICLY AS GAY

For me, a homophobic ment n slice right through me and take me back to feelgs of worthlsns and beg a nstant state of self-nscns. A person standg up for another the face of homophobic ments. Fightg agast homophobia and creatg a safer environment for people to be themselv has bee a real passn for me.

"Blackpool forward Jake Daniels speaks exclively on beg the UK's first male profsnal footballer to e out publicly as gay sce Jt talks about g out to his parents, his club, and his team-mat.

I n't really put a date on , but I was probably five or six years old when I knew I was gay. Zanr Murray signs for Bonnyrigg Rose to bee only openly gay player SPFL.

8 MALE FOOTBALL PLAYERS WHO DARED TO COME OUT AS GAY

Jake Daniels: England's only openly gay active footballer reveals Tom Daley spired him to e out. Jt Fashanu: LGBTQ+ Norwich fan group raisg money to stall statue of first openly gay footballer. At that age you don't really thk that football and beg gay don't mix.

In school people even ed to ask me: "Are you sure you aren't gay? It's been subject of beg gay, or bi or queer men's football is still a taboo.

ATRALIAN FOOTBALLER JOSH CAVALLO BE ONLY OPENLY GAY MALE PROFSNAL PLAYER

And people see beg gay as beg weak, somethg you n be picked on for on the football field. Of urse I am aware that there will be a reactn to this and some of will be homophobic, maybe a stadium and on social 's an easy thg for people to target. Football v Homophobia: "Football v Homophobia would like to ngratulate Jake on takg this step to share his thentic self the men's profsnal game, pecially at such a young age.

"There have prevly been players who felt that they had no place the game as out gay men durg their playg reers, but Jake is showg the world that you n be yourself. To e out publicly as the first openly gay player men's profsnal football the UK the last 30 years tak urage. Football, like any other game, also has many gay players.

GRAEME SOUNS EXPLAS WHY THERE ARE NO OPENLY GAY FOOTBALLERS THE PREMIER LEAGUE AND REVEALS TNAL VIS TO BRIGHTON PRI PARA

But tak guts to e out and reveal one’s genr as gay, which is ually an act of urage a world that is not ndned to accept every genr. This listicle will mentn eight male football players who dared to e out as gay. Seventeen male footballers have urageoly revealed their sexualy as gay public so far.

Even though has already been three s sce Jt Fashanu first publicly me out as gay, there are only a few of them revealg .

The primary reason behd many gay footballers not revealg their sexualy publicly is fear of homophobia on and off the pch. So, many profsnal leagu, teams, and players are raisg their voic to fight back agast homophobia so that gay footballers don’t face backlash while g out. Now, whout any further ado, let’s list the football players who dared to e out as gay publicly.

GAY PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLER 'UNRGOG THERAPY' OVER FEARS OF FAN ABE

Furthermore, he is the latt active footballer to e out as gay. Moreover, Andy Brennan is the first Atralian male footballer to openly disclosed beg gay. Currently, he is the only openly gay football player to play any of the Amerin top 5 major leagu.

In 2020, durg the San Diego Loyal match agast Phoneix Risg FC, Mart released a story of homophobic sults directed toward him.

One of the hight-profile male football players publicly clarg himself as gay is German footballer Thomas Hzlsperger. In January 2014, Hzlsperger me out as gay while terviewg Die Ze, a German newspaper. Later, he stated he was released a few years back and was gay.

GAY PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLER TORTURED BY FEARS HE’LL BE ‘CCIFIED’ FOR G OUT

His fellow German players supported his cisn to announce himself as gay publicly. Durg his spell at Leeds, Rodgers publicly appeared gay Febary 2013. Later, after wng the 2014 MLS Cup, Rodgers also beme the first gay male to w the league tle the USA.

GAY PLAYERS THE PREMIER LEAGUE? EVERTON UPLE SET TO E OUT 2023

In 2015, Rodger got ducted to the Natnal Gay and Lbian Sports Hall of Fame.

In November 2011, an terview wh Canadian broadster Rad Canada, Tto me out as gay. Moreover, David Tto is the first profsnal Amerin male profsnal footballer to e out as gay. In 2019, he was also featured a documentary related to homophobia sports named Standg on the Le.

Tto is a You Can Play mpaign advisory group fightg to elimate homophobia the sportg world. Anton Hysen is the youngt son of retired Swedish footballer Glenn Hysen and one of the gay players football. In 2011, Anton Hysen publicly me out as gay durg an terview wh Offsi.