The city councillor who authored St. Petersburg, Russia’s homophobic censorship law, Vitaly Milonov, has called homosexuality a “bad habit” and claims it can be treated by fasting and prayer.

Milonov said in an interview on Ekho Moskvy’s radio show “God can send many temptations upon us. But the thing is, this illness is easily treated by fasting and praying. I do not know of a single case within the Russian Orthodox Church that a man would not be cured by his sincere repentance in this sin.”

He went on to say “People get rid of it, just like they get rid of kleptomania or, for instance, fornicators.”

Milonov authored the law which makes it an offence to “promote” LGBT issues, and those who break the law face fines in excess of 50,000 roubles.