This Russian priest said these bright soccer boots were promoting a “gay rainbow”.

In another instalment of Offensive, Homophobic Things that Official People in Russia Say, a Russian Orthodox priest has said he didn’t mind that Russia’s soccer team was knocked out of the World Cup, as the FIFA World Cup is a “homosexual abomination”.

What made him say this? Did he have evidence that male sports stars were, in fact, boning each other in-between matches?

Nope. The Advocate has reported he said it because he thought that the brightly-coloured soccer boots the team wore to play were too flashy.

Priest Alexander Shumsky, a columnist for Russian People’s Line, said that the pink and blue shoes of the Russian team were the equivalent of “wear[ing] women’s panties or a bra.”

He said that the bright shoes were promoting a “gay rainbow”.

Here are the offending shoes in question:

It’s enough to make one want to kiss a member of the same sex, isn’t it?

Even more “unthinkable”, said the priest, were some of the player’s hairstyles.

“The liberal ideology of globalism clearly wants to oppose Christianity with football. I’m sure of it,” Shumsky wrote. “Therefore I am glad that the Russian players have failed and, by the grace of God, no longer participate in this homosexual abomination.”

But remember this is the country that has criminalised so-called LGBTIQ ‘propaganda’, which then caused serious concerns for sports people’s safety during the recent Sochi games – so maybe Priest Alexander Shumsky is just saying this stuff to try and fit in with Putin. Peer pressure.

And on that note: is everyone looking forward to the World Cup being held in Russia in 2018?

In previous instalments of Offensive, Homophobic Things that Official People in Russia Say:

Seven quotes to help you understand what life is like in Putin’s Russia.

Awesome responses to Russia’s anti-gay propaganda laws.