Greece bans LGBTQ conversion therapy

A huge rainbow flag is seen in front of the parliament constructing throughout a gay pride parade in Athens, Greece June 10, 2017. REUTERS/Costas Baltas

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ATHENS, May 10 (Reuters) - Greece on Wednesday banned conversion remedy for minors, a follow geared toward suppressing an individual's sexual orientation or gender id and which the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans community worldwide, in addition to well being experts, have condemned as harmful.

Beneath the invoice, which Greece's parliament authorized, psychologists or other health professionals need an individual's specific consent to perform such therapy and face fines and a prison time period if they violate the law.

The government has drafted a national strategy that runs till 2025 on reforms promoting gender equality in Greece, a largely conservative country. Canada, New Zealand and France criminalized conversion therapy earlier this 12 months.

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"There have been some false remedies that acknowledged that when a minor has chosen a unique sexual orientation, his mother and father could supposedly proceed with 'therapies' for this youngster to 'return to normality'", Health Minister Thanos Plevris informed parliament this week.

"Clearly these treatments not solely usually are not a therapy however they aren't supported scientifically," the minister stated.

The bill also bans advertising such practices.

Plevris added that Greece also plans to ban surgical procedures on intersex infants and babies born with atypical chromosomes that affect their reproductive anatomy in a manner that doesn't fit with the normative definition of male or female.

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Reporting by Renee Maltezou Editing by Invoice Berkrot

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