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

Contents:

• GAY FOOTBALLER JOSH CAVALLO WOULD BE ‘SRED’ TO PLAY AT WORLD CUP QATAR
• ‘NOBODY FEELS UNSAFE HERE’: GAY FOOTBALLER JOSH CAVALLO TOLD HE IS WELE AT QATAR WORLD CUP
• GAY FOOTBALLER JOSH CAVALLO SAYS HE WOULD BE ‘SRED’ TO PLAY AT THE 2022 WORLD CUP QATAR
• JOSH CAVALLO: ONLY OPENLY GAY TOP-FLIGHT MALE FOOTBALLER SAYS FIFA’S ‘ONELOVE’ ARMBAND BAN HAS MA HIM FEEL ‘EXCLUD’
• OPENLY GAY SOCCER PLAYERS SAYS HE IS FEARFUL OF PLAYG QATAR
• GAY FOOTBALLER JAKE DANIELS SLAMS ‘TRATG’ QATAR WORLD CUP AND LLS OUT LACK OF ‘RPECT’
• THERE ARE 0 OUT GAY PLAYERS AT THE MEN’S WORLD CUP. THERE WERE 40 WOMEN 2019
• COLL MART: THE GAY FOOTBALLER PLANNG TO PLAY AT THE QATAR WORLD CUP
• GAY ATRALIAN FOOTBALLER ‘SRED’ TO PLAY AT WORLD CUP QATAR
• GAY SOCCER PLAYER JOSH CAVALLO WOULD BE ‘SRED’ TO PLAY WORLD CUP ANTI-GAY QATAR
• WORLD CUP BOSS TELLS GAY FOOTBALLER JOSH CAVALLO ‘NOBODY FEELS UNSAFE’ HOMOPHOBIC QATAR
• FIFA WORLD CUP: GAY ATRALIAN FOOTBALLER "SRED" TO PLAY IN QATAR
• GARY LEKER: I KNOW TWO GAY FOOTBALLERS - IF THEY ME OUT WOULD SEND QATAR MSAGE
• GAY ASIE FOOTBALLER ‘SRED FOR HIS LIFE’ IF HE PLAYS AT QATAR WORLD CUP
• JOSH CAVALLO: WORLD'S ONLY OPENLY GAY TOP-FLIGHT FOOTBALLER 'FEARFUL' OF PLAYG QATAR WORLD CUP

GAY FOOTBALLER JOSH CAVALLO WOULD BE ‘SRED’ TO PLAY AT WORLD CUP QATAR

The world’s only openly gay top‑flight men’s footballer says he would be “sred” to play at the World Cup tournament Qatar next year bee of the emirate’s harsh ban on homosexualy and legal penalti rangg om floggg to lengthy prison terms and Cavallo, 21, who plays for Alai Uned Atralia’s A-League, received a wave of support om football fans and current and former players last month after openg up about his sexualy a vio posted to the club’s social media feeds. ”The announcement ma Cavallo the only out gay player men’s profsnal football, his isolatn stark a sport whose admistrators have lnched high-profile public mpaigns recent years embracg LGBT fans and only a handful of male players have ever e out, ntrast to the women’s game, which has easily blown past the same barrier: more than 40 lbian or bisexual players took part the 2019 women’s World Cup France, acrdg to Fifa.

‘NOBODY FEELS UNSAFE HERE’: GAY FOOTBALLER JOSH CAVALLO TOLD HE IS WELE AT QATAR WORLD CUP

Crics have raised the fact that Fifa ntu to award World Cups to untri such as Rsia – where homophobia has been lled a “state‑sponsored” project – and Qatar, where same-sex acts are illegal, as evince of the erng body’s patchy mment to if holdg the tournament a untry wh strict penalti for homosexualy sent the wrong msage to gay footballers and fans, Cavallo, who has played for Atralia’s unr-20s ternatnal si, told the Guardian’s daily news podst that he would be aaid for his safety if asked to participate the 2022 Qatar World Cup. 'I'm a footballer and I'm gay': A-League player Josh Cavallo talks about his sexualy – vio“I read somethg along the l of that [they] give the ath penalty for gay people Qatar, so ’s somethg I’m very sred [of] and wouldn’t really want to go to Qatar for that, ” he said.

At the end of the day the World Cup is Qatar and one of the greatt achievements as a profsnal footballer is to play for your untry, and to know that this is a untry that don’t support gay people and puts at risk of our own life, that do sre me and mak me re-evaluate – is my life more important than dog somethg really good my reer? ”Homosexual acts are banned unr several Qatari laws wh penalti rangg om at least a year to a prison. Mlims the untry n be subject to Sharia law that bans any sexual activy outsi marriage wh punishments rangg up to the ath penalty, meang homosexual acts n technilly rult executn, though several human rights reports have said there is no evince any gay people have been executed for the offence.

GAY FOOTBALLER JOSH CAVALLO SAYS HE WOULD BE ‘SRED’ TO PLAY AT THE 2022 WORLD CUP QATAR

”Along wh the appallg ndns for migrant workers buildg the astcture for the tournament, the prospect of gay fans or players beg arrted Qatar has dogged Fifa sce the emirate was announced as host of the tournament 2010. The anisatn’s then print, Sepp Blatter, fuelled the ntroversy the same year when he was asked if he had any advice for gay people who wanted to travel to the Gulf state for the petn.

But they walk a fe le between acmodatg what are now mastream attus towards gay people much of the world and the untry’s own nservative relig the tournament has approached, Qatari officials have sought to reassure LGBT fans that they will be wele the untry and n exprs themselv – wh lims.

”Prsed at the time over how Qataris would react to a gay uple holdg hands, Khater said they would be treated the same as a heterosexual uple. Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Readg the Game newsletter sent straight to your box for eeSign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s ee weekly newsletter The English Football Associatn has assured LGBT+ fans they will be wele Qatar durg the 2022 World Cup, spe the untry’s ban on people Qatar have ltle choice but to hi their sexualy to f to a society which wily regards homosexualy as a s.

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

However, unr prsure om the outsi, appears Qatar will soften s stance specifilly for the tournament when the world’s ey foc on the untry – a flexible stance which has privately angered the lol gay muny even of next wter’s World Cup, Qatar has sisted “everyone is wele” and announced rabow flags n be displayed at the stadiums solidary wh the gay muny.

OPENLY GAY SOCCER PLAYERS SAYS HE IS FEARFUL OF PLAYG QATAR

”Asked whether that effectively meant homosexualy would temporarily be ma legal durg the tournament, Bullgham said: “We have asked the qutn as to whether all of our fans will be able to e, particularly those om LGBTQ muny, and we received the unequivol answer that absolutely everybody is wele to e to Qatar.

But there have been mixed msag wh a World Cup ambassador and former footballer Khalid Salman sayg earlier this month that homosexualy was “damage the md, ” an terview wh German broadster ZDF.

He is a regular at England ternatnals and was once the victim of a homophobic asslt, he says, at Wembley four years ago, ahead of England’s match agast Spa 2018, when he had an altertn wh another fan.

GAY FOOTBALLER JAKE DANIELS SLAMS ‘TRATG’ QATAR WORLD CUP AND LLS OUT LACK OF ‘RPECT’

Atralian footballer Josh Cavallo would be wele at next year’s World Cup, the chief executive of the tournament Qatar has said, spe the untry’s laws agast Alai Uned player, who beme the world’s only current openly gay top-flight profsnal footballer when he me out last month, told the Guardian at the time he would be “sred” to play the Gulf state.

THERE ARE 0 OUT GAY PLAYERS AT THE MEN’S WORLD CUP. THERE WERE 40 WOMEN 2019

Homosexualy is illegal Qatar and punishable by a penalti rangg om floggg to imprisonment and executn, but tournament aniser Nasser Al Khater assured gay fans they uld feel safe there, as long as they act nservatively.

”Homosexualy is potentially punishable by the ath penalty for Mlims the untry unr sharia law, although human rights reports have said there is no evince any gay people have been executed for the 2022 Qatar World Cup chief executive Nasser Al Khater. “I read somethg along the l of that [they] give the ath penalty for gay people Qatar, so ’s somethg I’m very sred [of] and wouldn’t really want to go to Qatar for that, ” he said. After beg the only current, openly gay player men’s top-flight football last month, Josh Cavallo says a new terview wh the Guardian that he would be “sred” to play at the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar bee of the untry’s homosexualy laws.

Cavallo, who plays for Alai Uned Atralia’s A-League, received wispread support om the football muny and beyond when he announced on social media that he is gay, cludg om Barcelona fenr Gerard Piqué, Atléti Madrid forward Antoe Griezmann and Liverpool midfielr Jordan Henrson.

COLL MART: THE GAY FOOTBALLER PLANNG TO PLAY AT THE QATAR WORLD CUP

The 21-year-old has now voiced his ncerns about next year’s World Cup Qatar, where homosexualy is illegal and punishable by up to three years prison. He add: “One of the greatt achievements as a profsnal footballer is to play for your untry and to know that [the World Cup] is a untry that don’t support gay people and puts at risk of our own life, that do sre me and that do me make re-evaluate.

GAY ATRALIAN FOOTBALLER ‘SRED’ TO PLAY AT WORLD CUP QATAR

Acrdg to a report to state-sponsored homophobia by Lus Ramón Mendos of the human rights group ILGA World, Qatar “ns Sharia urts, where technilly is possible that Mlim men uld be put to ath for same-sex sexual behavurs. “Not havg anyone to look up to and to see okay, they’re playg football and they’re gay and they’re havg a succsful reer – that is somethg that sred me and somethg that I was worried that if I was to potentially e out one day, would affect my reer a bad way? 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.

The Alai Uned midfielr and former Atralian youth ternatnal ma headl last year when he me out as gay. Qatar FIFA World Cup ambassador and former footballer Khalid Salman has said homosexualy is “damage the md, ” an terview wh German broadster ZDF on Monday.

As many people are expected to travel to Qatar for the World Cup, “let’s talk about gays, ” Salman said.

GAY SOCCER PLAYER JOSH CAVALLO WOULD BE ‘SRED’ TO PLAY WORLD CUP ANTI-GAY QATAR

Josh Cavallo, an Atralian soccer player, says he is sred to play at the upg World Cup bee of the host untry’s crimalizatn of homosexualy.

As a gay footballer, I know there are other players livg silence, ” he wrote a statement the followg day. The Irish Tim noted that FIFA reported that “more than 40 lbian or bisexual players took part the 2019 women’s World Cup France” while there are only a few openly gay men profsnal soccer. While appearg on The Guardian‘s “Today Foc” podst, Cavallo said he beme ncerned about playg the Middle Eastern untry after readg “somethg along the l of that [they] give the ath penalty for gay people Qatar.

WORLD CUP BOSS TELLS GAY FOOTBALLER JOSH CAVALLO ‘NOBODY FEELS UNSAFE’ HOMOPHOBIC QATAR

“At the end of the day the World Cup is Qatar and one of the greatt achievements as a profsnal footballer is to play for your untry, and to know that this is a untry that don’t support gay people and puts at risk of our own life, that do sre me and mak me re-evaluate — is my life more important than dog somethg really good my reer?

“The most prsg reason to pull the plug on the soccer World Cup Qatar … is the Islamic regime’s lethal homophobic law targetg gay and lbian sexual activy, ” wrote Gay Cy News 2020. ’ It is long overdue for ele sports associatns to cease rewardg natns that crimalize homosexualy. Gay football pro Jake Daniels has said he’s not happy about the World Cup beg held anti-LGBTQ+ Qatar.

FIFA WORLD CUP: GAY ATRALIAN FOOTBALLER "SRED" TO PLAY IN QATAR

Blackpool FC player Daniels, who me out as gay May, suggted he would back a boytt of the World Cup a new terview wh Vogue. He said he’s “not the happit” about the World Cup beg held Qatar, where homosexualy is punishable by imprisonment, and where queer Mlim men n face ath.

Jake Daniels was the first pro player Brish men’s football to e out as gay sce Jt Fashanu  1990. Daniels has been playg football sce he was three and said he knew he was gay by around five or six years old. Contemplatg why so few footballers have e out as gay, Jake Daniels referred to the “masculy si” of the game, lack of role mols and the fear of the crowds, which he said remas a ma ncern for him.

Gay rights are takg center stage at this year’s men’s World Cup, thanks to the host untry’s diabolil treatment of LGBTQ people. But the strongt statement agast the Qatari’s medieval stance on LGBTQ rights would be an out gay player participatg the tournament. Dorn says there are multiple possible explanatns for the arth of gay players the men’s World Cup, rangg om soccer culture to the lotn of the event self.

GARY LEKER: I KNOW TWO GAY FOOTBALLERS - IF THEY ME OUT WOULD SEND QATAR MSAGE

There are a growg number of out pro male soccer players: Sttish player Zanr Murray and English player Jake Daniels me out as gay earlier this year. This outdated mentaly fails to regnize the wdfall that awas out gay and bi athlet male sports.

This year, though, the bate has grown more tense, particularly due to the untry's stance on homosexualy and the rights of LGBTQ+ dividuals.

Uned and Mnota Uned MLS, and now played wh San Diego Loyal the USL ChampnshipMart was appld for his bravery when he me out as gay back 2018, and the ex-MLS playeris now hopg to reprent the Uned Stat Qatar, spe everythg. "I thk that I would try to honour the muny a certa way - the gay muny - and I would do rpectfully.

GAY ASIE FOOTBALLER ‘SRED FOR HIS LIFE’ IF HE PLAYS AT QATAR WORLD CUP

"I would make sure that is known that a gay player is participatg at the World Cup, and that there's no issue wh and that I need to be rpected. "I thk 's not jt the gay muny that is ncerned wh the host untry beg acceptg and I thk there's been a tonne of different issu that have arose om holdg the World Cup Qatar. Atralian footballer Josh Cavallo, who me out as gay last month, has revealed he would be sred to play at the upg World Cup Qatar bee of the untry’s crimalizatn of homosexualy.

The 21-year-old, who plays for Alai Uned Atralia’s A-League, is the only known gay footballer playg a top-flight men’s league. “I read somethg along the l of that [they] give the ath penalty for gay people Qatar, so ’s somethg I’m very sred [of] and wouldn’t really want to go to Qatar for that, ” he told the Guardian‘s Today Foc podst.

At the end of the day the World Cup is Qatar and one of the greatt achievements as a profsnal footballer is to play for your untry, and to know that this is a untry that don’t support gay people and puts at risk of our own life, that do sre me and mak me re-evaluate — is my life more important than dog somethg really good my reer? Last year a report om the Internatnal Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Associatn (ILGA) said sourc dited the ath penalty uld potentially be ed as punishment for nsensual homosexual sex Qatar. The last World Cup was held Rsia, where queer activism was severely rtricted unr a 2013 “gay propaganda” law forbiddg the promotn of “non-tradnal sexual relatnships” to mors.

JOSH CAVALLO: WORLD'S ONLY OPENLY GAY TOP-FLIGHT FOOTBALLER 'FEARFUL' OF PLAYG QATAR WORLD CUP

Dpe football’s immense populary worldwi only a few male footballers have ever e out as gay, mostly after retirement to avoid the prospect of tnts om the terrac.

Josh Cavallo, the pro soccer player om Atralia who me out as gay last month, said he would be sred to play the 2022 World Cup Qatar bee of the untry’s harsh laws agast homosexualy. “I read somethg along the l of that [they] give the ath penalty for gay people Qatar, so ’s somethg I’m very sred [of] and wouldn’t really want to go to Qatar for that, ” Cavallo said on a podst wh the Guardian.