Josh Cavallo is the first male top-level footballer to come out as gay

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Josh Cavallo of Adelaide, left, and Daniel Stynes of the Glory contest for the ball during the A-League match between Perth Glory and Adelaide United at HBF Park, on May 19 in Perth, Australia.





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Why There Are Few Openly Gay Athletes In Men’s Professional Sports

«I want to inspire and show people that it’s OK to be yourself and play football. It’s OK to be gay and to play football,» he said. «Be yourself. You were meant to be yourself, not someone else.»

Cavallo received messages of support on social media from other top-tier football clubs, including FC Barcelona and Juventus.

Collin Martin, a current U.S. soccer player for the San Diego Loyal, has also come out publicly as gay. This year has seen several U.S. male professional athletes come out as the first openly gay players currently participating in their respective sports, including NHL hockey player Luke Prokop and NFL defensive end Carl Nassib.

This post originally appeared in the Morning Edition live blog.

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• gay athletes


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