01 June 2024 , 08:00
486
0
The first top-flight footballer to come out as gay while playing has opened up on the 'overwhelming' experience he enjoyed at Pride in London two years ago.
Josh Cavallo came out in October 2021 and has since become a vocal advocate for the LGBT+ community. The first Pride event he attended was Pride in London in July 2022, where he marched alongside Stonewall and the city's mayor Sadiq Khan.
This year's Pride month will take place over June, with the LGBT+ community celebrating and protesting at parades and events across the country. Cavallo is yet to confirm his plans for this year's celebrations, having attended New York Pride in 2023.
In a previous interview with Mirror Football, Cavallo spoke out about the death threats and abuse that he frequently receives. And he has now pointed to Pride as a way to re-energise him for the battles ahead for his community.
Speaking exclusively to Mirror Football, he said: "My time in London has been phenomenal and my time in New York was great. It's just great to have conversations with people and the public, have every day conversations about how they're doing, how their journey is.
Man Utd fans aim homophobic Chelsea chant at Frank Lampard during FA Cup clash
"Everyone's got such a unique story and I love to hear all of them. I'm dying to get down to another Pride to experience that again. I would say it's like a nice relief, Prides.
"Obviously it's a day of celebration, but there's so much behind it. Online I get a lot of love and excitement too, so it was nice to see that kind of stuff in person. It's something I will continue to do and it's something I want to do every year.
Josh Cavallo has opened up about his experience at Pride in London in 2022 (Instagram/Josh Cavallo)"There's so much work still to do, not just in the footballing space, so I love to use my platform for the best way, to help Prides in getting their messages across and what we believe is right and what we stand for."
Cavallo looks back fondly on his time in London two years ago, as the build-up begins for this year's celebrations. And the Australian admitted he was left overcome with emotion at seeing the huge crowds celebrating.
"It was my first experience, it was amazing to see how many people, like the people that came to that was like the entire population of my hometown in Adelaide. It was so overwhelming but so nice," Cavallo added.
"A lot of my fanbase is in London so it was nice to see people reach out and speak to me. And speak to a lot of people who have reached out online and connected with me. So that was really fun as well.
"So was New York. New York was another one that was absolutely phenomenal, but it's just amazing to see people face to face rather than behind a screen. I do like to get to one at least once a year."
and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our