Russian Orthodox priest calls World Cup a 'homosexual abomination,' citing pink shoes and fun haircuts

Russian Orthodox priest Alexander Shumsky has unleashed a rather imaginative diatribe against the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, declaring that soccer must be gay because the shoes are too colorful. In his column on the Christian website Russian People's Line, Shumsky argued that the brightly colored cleats are an indication that the tournament is a "homosexual abomination." He equated the neon footwear to "women's panties or a bra," insisting that green, yellow, pink, and blue shoes promote the "gay rainbow." Shumsky also wrote he was offended by the "unthinkable haircuts" of certain players.

Unlike the thousands of Russian soccer fans heartbroken by their team's early elimination from the World Cup, Shumsky thanked the "grace of God" for the team's loss. He ended his rant with the conclusion that globalism "clearly wants football to oppose Christianity. I'm sure of it."

The Sochi Olympics brought President Vladimir Putin heated international criticism over his government's discrimination against gays and lesbians, but Russia has yet to single out colorful shoes in its anti-gay legislation.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up