Josh Cavallo: Only openly gay top-flight male footballer says FIFA's 'OneLove' armband ban has ma him feel 'exclud' | CNN

can footballers be gay

In 1990, Jt Fashanu beme the first football player to publicly e out as gay. Sce then, only seventeen players have done the same.

Contents:

KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH A US MEN’S PROFSNAL SPORTS LEAGUE TO PUBLICLY E OUT AS GAY

Kev Maxen has bee the first male ach a US men’s profsnal sports league to e out as gay. * can footballers be gay *

Per Outsports, Maxen is the “first publicly out male ach a major Amerin men’s pro sports league, ” wh WNBA ach Curt Miller, who publicly me out to the media as gay 2015, also a publicly out male ach an Amerin profsnal sports league.

As the World Cup go on a untry where homosexualy is illegal, many global football fans are havg to reckon wh the sports' soccer remas one of the most popular sports around the world, very few players have been able to e out and enjoy a succsful reer afterwards. Gay players face prsure om teammat, ownership, ach, and fans over their are some of the men who have e out, fightg those stereotyp, and pavg the way for LGBTQ+ athlet who e after them. Rogers me out as gay 2013, beg the first out gay man to pete a top North Amerin pro sports league when he played for the LA Galaxy that same year.

In other words, where Bud Light has buckled unr prsure as bigotry grows agast the LGBTQ+ muny, Gay Water’s creator Spencer Hodson wants his new boozy brand to be the anthis of that. “The key issue that Bud Light tapped to was the fact that they didn’t unrstand their re dience and know enough about them,” Hodson, a gay man, told CNN about the ntroversy that began when the Anhser-Bch beer brand sent fluencer Dylan Mulvaney a n of beer.

8 MALE FOOTBALL PLAYERS WHO DARED TO COME OUT AS GAY

* can footballers be gay *

The two chatted about the limed amount of gay people wh , and wh Hodson burnt out om his tradnal day job tech, started the nned cktail. Hodson built up a strong social media followg on TikTok and Instagram durg Covid-19 and is g some of the money om that (as well as om iends and fay) to help fund Gay Water. “Gay is an umbrella term and the ia behd the brand is to be as clive as possible, which means we want alli, we want straight people to be part of this muny we’re buildg.”.

For now, Gay Water is sold largely onle (wh a few retailers) and four sugar-ee flavors — watermelon, lime, peach and grapeu — at lnch.

UNNAMED PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLER REVEALS HE IS GAY LETTER BUT SAYS HE N'T GO PUBLIC

Amal Fashanu, whose uncle was Bra's first and only openly gay male profsnal footballer, tells Sky News the foundatn dited to him is offerg support to two Premier League players who are yet to e out publicly. * can footballers be gay *

Gay Water might not have the ep pockets pared to s petors, like Whe Claw, but “even at small sle, pani of many siz are havg succs makg spir-based seltzers and premixed cktails,” Bryan Roth, an analyst for Feel Goods Company and edor of the alhol beverage newsletter, Sightl+, told CNN.

“There’s lots of space the spir-based seltzer tegory which Gay Water n play, pecially if the brand n offer a cultural or emotnal nnectn that will feel more excg than the prospect of another peapple-flavored vodka seltzer om natnal or ternatnal rporatns,” Roth said.

Of urse, other drks e the word “gay,” too, cludg Gay Beer and So Gay Rosé, Hodson noted, which are also tryg to reach the queer muny and offer them an alternative the straight-domated space. 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.

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

Carl Nassib is the first to ever play a down as openly gay, but the rt are still trailblazers. * can footballers be gay *

Therefore, a suable environment should be created through tn as a drivg factor, so gay footballers don’t feel prsured to reveal their sexualy. Igor Benevenuto, the first FIFA referee to e out as gay, has claimed that 30 to 40 percent of those volved football are gay or even went as far statg that many are married wh children and yet lead double liv wh their gay partners. Benevenuto said he has suffered prejudice Brazil bee of his sexual orientatn, explag that " Brazil, homosexualy is seen as an illns siar to alholism, which n be overe".

But I n still be a drop the ocean of change, " he July 2022, Benevenuto told the podst 'In the Locker Room Closets' that he was a homosexual. "I'm gay, I'm attracted to men and football is a sport I grew up and grew to hate bee I uldn't stand the atmosphere full of machismo and prejudice.

An unnamed Premier League footballer has revealed he is gay an open letter, but isn't prepared to e out star has opened up about the torment of keepg his sexualy a secret and has aimed the letter at thori and fans, scribg how he is takg a "huge step" revealg his sexualy. The unknown star is beg supported by the Jt Fashanu Foundatn, which is n by the former footballer's niece, Fashanu, who played for top flight clubs om the late 1970s to the mid 1980s, was the first profsnal footballer to be openly gay.

MEET THE 16 OUT GAY AND BI FOOTBALL PLAYERS THE NFL’S 103-YEAR HISTORY

Let’s be clear right om the start. None of the athlet are nfirmed to be gay or anythg like that. The purpose of this list is to go a b more pth about some of the mors that are surro * can footballers be gay *

Ms Fashanu says there are no openly gay or bisexual male profsnal footballers the untry at prent and this revelatn was a "signifint moment and a posive step forward" tacklg this told Sky News: "The fact this player wanted to wre a letter about this is a huge step forward. "In a Digal, Culture, Media and Sport Select Commtee hearg on 7 July, former England women's team footballer Enla Alo said gay male footballers wouldn't risk g out the public doma bee of the homophobic backlash they would said there are current footballers who have told their teammat they are gay, but add: "The issue really now is that fear of what fans will do and are gog to say, but I don't thk that is as legimate a fear as ed to be bee we're livg a world now where beg gay is somethg that is wily accepted. Addns DE Samson Ebam, DL Taven Bryan, K Matt Gay, WR Isaiah McKenzie, WR Brhad Perriman, Key partur QB Matt Ryan, DE Yannick Ngakoue, LB Bobby Okereke, CB Stephon Gilmore, WR Parris CampbellAvailable opportuny 28 RB rri, 16 RB targets, 98 WR targets, 0 TE targets Rankgs and projectnsChris Towers' projectnsQBAnthony RichardsonPA: 450, YD: 3100, TD: 18, INT: 12; RUSH -- ATT: 133, YD: 729, TD: 4RBJonathan TaylorCAR: 318, YD: 1527, TD: 13; TAR: 50, REC: 38, YD: 302, TD: 2RBZack MossCAR: 80, YD: 318, TD: 3; TAR: 15, REC: 12, YD: 97, TD: 1WRMichael PtmanTAR: 131, REC: 85, YD: 936, TD: 6WRAlec PierceTAR: 81, REC: 44, YD: 620, TD: 3WRIsaiah McKenzieTAR: 66, REC: 45, YD: 445, TD: 3TEJelani WoodsTAR: 40, REC: 26, YD: 319, TD: 2TEMo Alie-CoxTAR: 45, REC: 33, YD: 402, TD: 2Biggt qutnHow good n Anthony Richardson be?

The purpose of this list is to go a b more pth about some of the mors that are surroundg the players, not to nvce the rear that the athlet are gay. In fact, as society is now much more open to people no matter their orientatn, we have seen a ton more athlet, both active and retired, e out and adm that they are homosexuals, and 's absolutely a great thg.

This list will look at some of the most high profile exampl of pro athlet who have had mors about beg gay surroundg them, but aga, none of those are nfirmed and even if they were nfirmed, they would be somethg to celebrate. Qutns about Aikman's sexual orientatn have been around for s and the mor was started by Skip Bayls, when, his book, he stated that Troy Aikman might be gay. The Blackpool forward Jake Daniels has end s of silence wh men’s football to bee the first player the UK to e out as gay sce Jt Fashanu 1990.

TOP 10 ATHLET WHO ARE RUMORED TO BE GAY

It is believed by many that male profsnal footballers are not openly gay or bisexual parison to female players. Read on to fd out more about the homosexual male players football history. * can footballers be gay *

Photograph: Pl Dennis/TGS Photo/ShutterstockDaniels’s revelatn is a strikg landmark that when men’s football is more engaged wh social issu than any recent time, but still unable to ce progrs LGBTQ reprentatn wh the year Alai Uned’s Josh Cavallo beme the only male top-flight profsnal footballer the world to e out as gay, but others are yet to follow. In six months the men’s World Cup will be played Qatar, where homosexualy is illegal, and Cavallo revealed to the Guardian he would be “sred” to play at the tournament, the pnacle of world English football specifilly, the shadow of the talented and unfulfilled Fashanu still lgers over the game. The England ternatnal me out at the end of his reer and was to take his own life eight years later, Fashanu, Jt’s niece, who ns a charable foundatn his name, said that Daniels’s cisn would “e as a huge fort to the many footballers at all levels of the game still secretly livg as gay and who still feel unable to e out”.

Acrdg to rearch fdgs, football supporters would like to see homophobia elimated, believe the FA is not dog enough to addrs the issue, and would feel at ease if a member of their team me out as gay. Homosexual male players football historyHere is a list of the profsnal male footballers who me out public and announced their homosexualy. Uned and Mnota Uned FC Major League Soccer, and for Richmond Kickers and Hartford Athletic the Uned Football me out as gay June 2018, makg him the only out man any of the big five Amerin sports leagu or any top-divisn profsnal men's natnal soccer, 26, shared the news on Twter, notg he had been openly gay to his iends and fay for years, but never on such a large platform.

JAKE DANIELS BE FIRST UK MALE FOOTBALLER TO E OUT AS GAY SCE 1990

Josh Cavallo, the only openly gay top-flight male soccer player the sport, has told CNN that FIFA’s cisn to ban players om wearg “OneLove” armbands at the Qatar 2022 has ma him feel “exclud.” * can footballers be gay *

'Mart's announcement ma him one of only two openly gay players Major League Soccer - the other beg Robbie Rogers, who retired shortly after his announcement but me back to play Tto was the first player to e out as a gay man, makg the announcement shortly after his retirement said his cisn to e out on an ternatnal stage was ma 'much easier' by the 'kdns and acceptance' om his fellow players.

JOSH CAVALLO: ONLY OPENLY GAY TOP-FLIGHT MALE FOOTBALLER SAYS FIFA’S ‘ONELOVE’ ARMBAND BAN HAS MA HIM FEEL ‘EXCLUD’

The Alai Uned midfielr announced that he was gay a vio posted to the team's Twter acunt Tuday. * can footballers be gay *

He released a book named “Comg Out to Play” announced his retirement and sexualy wh a 408-word post on his personal blog, which Rogers wrote, "I'm a soccer player, I'm Christian, and I'm gay. Daily Mail has scribed Anton as the "first high-profile Swedish footballer to announce that he is gay" and as the send active profsnal football player to e out, after English footballer Jt Fashanu 1990. At the Stockholm Pri, he livered a speech nouncg sports homophobia and laid to rt his 2001 airport stated that, "I know that many LGBT people have been the victims of asslts and hate crim.

Cint had been blown out of proportn the orr to fally flh the Frankfurt Airport punch down the toilet: is not the se that I beat up a gay person. "While Germany as a untry has noticeably bee more and more relaxed about homosexualy recent years, he had also noted there was an unhelpful media obssn wh fdg the first gay footballer. All sorts of well-tend but ultimately unhelpful terventns om heterosexual players – who eher oped that gay players would benef om g out or utned agast – did not exactly fill him wh nfince that this was ed the right former ternatnal, who played the 2006 World Cup and the 2008 European Champnship, matas that he did not have to lie about his sexualy and that teammat eventually stopped askg about his lack of a girliend.

After partg Grimsby Town, Liam went onto play for Selby Town, Brigg Town, Gasborough Try, and most recently Cleethorp Town, who he reprented the 2017 FA Vase Fal at January 2014 Davis bee the UKs hight profile openly gay December 2017, Davis publicly cricized ments ma by FA chairman Greg Clarke that "profsnal players who out themselv as homosexual would be takg a risk.

CAN GAY FOOTBALLERS EVER E OUT?

Before Nassib beme the first openly gay active NFL player, others paved the way — and paid a steep st. * can footballers be gay *

"Davis urged other homosexual soccer players to e out publicly and not fear a 32-year-old has spoken out enuragg male gay footballers not to worry about g out, sharg his own experienc as part of Uefa’s Equal Game mpaign, to foster greater cln and diversy the midfielr admted receivg abe om opponents, but sists football’s attus to homosexualy are creasgly UrbanMarc Urban, born 4 Augt 1971, is a former German football player. He has spoken publicly about the difficulti that gay footballers’ experience and he is now a spokperson and mpaigner on diversy issu sport and the was sent to a sports boardg school at age 13 and played for the natnal youth teams the 1990s before settlg at send divisn club Rot-Weiss Erfurt.

He is now on the board of You Can Play, an anizatn dited to the fight agast homophobia PterPter liv Balham wh his hband Alan and works as an assistant manager at Boots. He was appoted as a Member of the Orr of the Brish Empire bee of his work batg realized at the age of 10 that he was gay, and alt wh homophobic abe om his schoolmat. While playg for his lol club, Pter suffered homophobia om other players and was dropped om the first team to the fourth team after one of his teammat found out that he was gay.

It was later announced that he had e out as gay, and that he qu football as a rult of what he scribed as wispread homophobia the football muny. Berlg's se was ced several tim the upg years, as the nnectn between homophobia and sport was discsed the natnal media now and FashanuJt Soni Fashanu (19 Febary 1961 – 2 May 1998) was an English footballer who played for var clubs between 1978 and 1997.

JOSH CAVALLO BE ONE OF THE FEW PROFSNAL MEN'S FOOTBALLERS TO E OUT AS GAY

Acrdg to his suici note, fearg he would not get a fair trial bee of his homosexualy, he fled to England where he killed himself London May 1998. Josh Cavallo, the only openly gay top-flight male soccer player the sport, has told CNN that FIFA’s cisn to ban players om wearg “OneLove” armbands at the Qatar 2022 has ma him feel “exclud.

Far worse, however, were the years of abe suffered by Jt Fashanu, the only profsnal English footballer to e out as gay, who took his own life beg Bra's first £1m black player, Fashanu's reer went downhill unr Brian Clough at Nottgham Fort.

Hearg mours that Fashanu was visg gay bars, Clough nonted him, later wrg his tobgraphy: "'Where do you go if you want a loaf of bread? '"The Jt Campaign, named honour of Fashanu, is jt one of a group of diversy and gay rights anisatns who exprsed "grave ncerns" this week when the Football Associatn hurriedly ncelled the lnch of a film tend to nont homophobia.

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

Prevly, was reported that the FA had been stgglg to fd high-profile players to support the film; now, English football's erng body is to nduct further nsultatn on the hard-htg vio that shows a man abg workmat and muters wh anti-gay tnts before dog the same at a football match. The stadiums may be plher than ever but they still reverberate to offensive anti-gay chants, and homophobic "banter" is wispread drsg list of openly gay sportg hero around the world is a short one. Famo nam clu basketball's John Amaechi, hurlg's Donal Og Cack, Olympic gold medal-wng diver Matthew Mcham and, most notably Bra, Nigel Owens, the Welsh ternatnal gby referee, and Gareth Thomas, Wal's most-pped player and the former Brish Lns pta, who me out last about 4, 000 profsnal footballers England and Wal, however, none will openly acknowledge they are gay.

Pl Elltt, the former Chelsea and Celtic star who works wh football diversy mpaign group Kick It Out, has said at least 12 Premier League players are gay. After Thomas me out, the publicist Max Clifford revealed that he advised two high-profile gay Premiership stars to keep their sexualy secret bee football "remas the dark ag, steeped homophobia" Profsnal Footballers' Associatn has taken advice om Amaechi over how to tackle homophobic abe the game. Ben Summerskill, chief executive of Stonewall, scrib football as "stutnally homophobic", and says the FA is signifintly behd other workplac tacklg the problem.

Tradnally homophobic, macho and nservative profsns such as vtment bankg and the armed forc are, acrdg to Summerskill, signifintly better at addrsg homophobia than football. We're sendg openly gay and lbian people to fight Afghanistan, but we n't send openly gay people to fight for the World Cup this summer. "I was terted the theatre and the arts and so I got the 'you mt be gay' thg – to which I sniggered and said, 'I'm not and I don't re if you thk I am, '" he his playg reer for Everton and Chelsea, Nev was closely volved the first anti-racism mpaigns football.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* CAN FOOTBALLERS BE GAY

Jake Daniels be first UK male footballer to e out as gay sce 1990 | Football | The Guardian .

TOP