On Oct. 27, Josh Cavallo altered the landscape of football around the globe with one simple sentence: "I am proud to publicly announce that I am gay." In a message posted across his and club Adelaide United’s social media accounts, the Reds’ utility revealed that for six years he had been hiding his sexuality from the world; battling feelings of pain and shame as he battled with the fear that being gay meant he wouldn’t be able to continue to play the game he loved. There have been a select few male players that have come out before, of course, former A-League Men player Andy Brennan recently did so while playing in the semi-professional NPL Victoria competition and the women’s game has a bastion of inclusivity and safety for LGBTQIA+ athletes. But his announcement, coming at the beginning of his professional career -- and when there was not a single other out male footballer in any top-flight competition around the world -- was significant. The reaction to Cavallo’s announcement was swift and, heartwarmingly, overwhelmingly supportive. Messages, first from around Australia and then around the world, from football, other sports and broader society, began to pour in expressing solidarity and pride in his bravery.Across the whirlwind 24 hours that followed Cavallo, wanting his coming out to serve as an inspiration to others that were in his position, expressly tried to do as much media as possible and he spoke to Beyond the Lead about his brave decision, the reaction, and what was next for him.