Greece bans LGBTQ conversion remedy

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

Register

ATHENS, Might 10 (Reuters) - Greece on Wednesday banned conversion therapy for minors, a follow geared toward suppressing an individual's sexual orientation or gender id and which the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans group worldwide, in addition to health consultants, have condemned as dangerous.

Beneath the invoice, which Greece's parliament accepted, psychologists or different well being professionals want an individual's explicit consent to perform such remedy and face fines and a prison term in the event that they violate the regulation.

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

Register

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

"Obviously these treatments not solely usually are not a therapy however they are not supported scientifically," the minister said.

The invoice also bans advertising such practices.

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

Register

Reporting by Renee Maltezou Modifying by Bill Berkrot

Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Belief Ideas.