Greece bans LGBTQ conversion remedy

An enormous rainbow flag is seen in front of the parliament constructing during a homosexual pride parade in Athens, Greece June 10, 2017. REUTERS/Costas Baltas

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ATHENS, May 10 (Reuters) - Greece on Wednesday banned conversion therapy for minors, a practice aimed toward suppressing an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity and which the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans neighborhood worldwide, as well as health specialists, have condemned as harmful.

Under the invoice, which Greece's parliament approved, psychologists or different health professionals want an individual's explicit consent to carry out such remedy and face fines and a jail time period in the event that they violate the regulation.

The government has drafted a nationwide strategy that runs until 2025 on reforms selling gender equality in Greece, a largely conservative country. Canada, New Zealand and France criminalized conversion therapy earlier this yr.

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"There were some false therapies that acknowledged that when a minor has chosen a distinct sexual orientation, his dad and mom could supposedly proceed with 'remedies' for this youngster to 'return to normality'", Health Minister Thanos Plevris instructed parliament this week.

"Clearly these therapies not solely aren't a remedy but they don't seem to be supported scientifically," the minister said.

The invoice also bans advertising such practices.

Plevris added that Greece additionally plans to ban surgeries on intersex infants and babies born with atypical chromosomes that affect their reproductive anatomy in a approach that doesn't fit with the normative definition of male or feminine.

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Reporting by Renee Maltezou Enhancing by Invoice Berkrot

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