Josh Cavallo is about to embark on a milestone in his gay life.
The Australian pro soccer player, who publicly came out in 2021, will soon make his debut on RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Guest starring on the cultural phenomenon is a right of passage for any gay celebrity worth his Insta followers.
Cavallo will be a guest edge on Season 3 of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under, the Australian version of the international franchise.
“As the first openly gay male professional football player, embracing your authentic self means freedom but for so many of the queer community this isn’t as easy as you think,” he wrote on Instagram. “It’s a battle hundreds of millions are going through everyday around the world as we speak. RuPaul’s Drag Race is important for everyone to celebrate walking in your own shoes and showing the world the real you in your journey.”
Multiple out gay athletes, including soccer stud Jake Williamson, pro soccer player Thomas Beattie and pro basketball player Isaac Humphries, extended their congratulations.
With his upcoming guest judge stint, Cavallo joins a distinguished club among gay athletes. Olympic icons Gus Kenworthy and Adam Rippon have also sat alongside Ru at the judge’s table.
Cavallo’s story fits with RuPaul’s message of self-love. At the end of each show, Ru declares: “If you can’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?”
When Cavallo came out, he said he could no longer take living a lie.
“I was ashamed I’d never be able to do what I love, and be gay … All I want to do is play football and be treated equally,” he said. “I’m tired of trying to perform at the best of your ability and to live this double life. It’s exhausting. It’s something that I don’t want anyone to experience.”
Much like the queens on Drag Race, Cavallo wants to show LGBTQ+ people the power of embracing themselves.
“I want to show all the other people who are struggling and who are scared, whoever it may be, don’t act like someone you’re not,” he said. “Be yourself. You’re meant to be yourself, not someone else.”
Since coming out, Cavallo hasn’t been shy about calling out homophobic behavior. Last fall, he addressed anti-gay remarks that were directed towards him, and ensured LGBTQ+ kids they belong on the field.
“To all the young people who have received homophobic abuse, hold your heads up high and keep chasing your dreams. Know that there is no place in the game for this,” he said. “Football is a game for everyone no matter of who you are, what color your skin is or where you come from.”
So far, at least one pro athlete has publicly credited Cavallo for helping him come out. Rugby player Nick McCarthy, who said he was gay last summer, thanked Cavallo for setting an example.
“Looking at Carl Nassib or Josh Cavallo coming out and Jack Dunne here in Leinster and how he spoke publicly last year about his bisexuality, has helped me a lot,” he said. “I’ve had good conversations with each of them and they’ve been hugely encouraging.”
Two other male pro soccer players, Scottish star Zander Murray and teenage British soccer standout Jake Daniels, have followed in Cavallo’s footsteps.
Collin Martin, who plays in the U.S., has been out for five years.
But for active male pro soccer players, that’s it. The dearth of examples makes Cavallo’s voice even more valuable.
With a new contract through 2025–Cavallo recently re-signed with his club, Adelaide United–he will have a platform for years to come.
Cavallo’s pending guest stint on Ru illustrates his significance to the community, on and off the pitch.
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Driven features stories and interviews highlighting the thrill of the queer journey, celebrating tenacious LGBTQers whose courage to be themselves fuels their drive to succeed.
Louis
Good for him.
I do enjoy the guest judges on RPDR. They’re often people you know of but don’t really get to see out of their profession. It’s often fun seeing what they find funny or sexy or bizarre.