Greece bans LGBTQ conversion therapy

A huge rainbow flag is seen in front of the parliament building during a homosexual delight 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 practice aimed toward suppressing a person's sexual orientation or gender identity and which the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans neighborhood worldwide, in addition to well being experts, have condemned as harmful.

Beneath the bill, which Greece's parliament authorised, psychologists or other well being professionals want an individual's specific consent to carry out such therapy and face fines and a prison time period if they violate the law.

The federal government has drafted a nationwide 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 yr.

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"There were some false treatments that acknowledged that when a minor has chosen a different sexual orientation, his parents might supposedly proceed with 'remedies' for this little one to 'return to normality'", Well being Minister Thanos Plevris informed parliament this week.

"Clearly these therapies not only are not a remedy however they don't seem to be supported scientifically," the minister stated.

The bill additionally bans advertising such practices.

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

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Reporting by Renee Maltezou Modifying by Bill Berkrot

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