Greece bans LGBTQ conversion remedy

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

Register

ATHENS, Might 10 (Reuters) - Greece on Wednesday banned conversion therapy for minors, a observe geared toward suppressing a person's sexual orientation or gender identification and which the lesbian, homosexual, bisexual and trans neighborhood worldwide, as well as well being specialists, have condemned as harmful.

Under the invoice, which Greece's parliament accredited, psychologists or different health professionals need a person's express consent to carry out such therapy and face fines and a prison time period if they violate the regulation.

The federal government has drafted a national technique that runs till 2025 on reforms promoting gender equality in Greece, a largely conservative nation. Canada, New Zealand and France criminalized conversion therapy earlier this year.

Register

"There were some false treatments that stated that when a minor has chosen a special sexual orientation, his mother and father could supposedly proceed with 'therapies' for this youngster to 'return to normality'", Well being Minister Thanos Plevris advised parliament this week.

"Clearly these therapies not solely are usually not a therapy but they don't seem to be supported scientifically," the minister mentioned.

The bill also bans promoting such practices.

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

Register

Reporting by Renee Maltezou Enhancing by Invoice Berkrot

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Belief Principles.