Greece bans LGBTQ conversion remedy

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

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ATHENS, Could 10 (Reuters) - Greece on Wednesday banned conversion remedy for minors, a practice aimed at suppressing a person's sexual orientation or gender identity and which the lesbian, homosexual, bisexual and trans community worldwide, in addition to health experts, have condemned as dangerous.

Underneath the invoice, which Greece's parliament permitted, psychologists or other health professionals want a person's express consent to carry out such treatment and face fines and a jail time period in the event that they violate the law.

The government has drafted a national technique 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 have been some false therapies that said that when a minor has chosen a unique sexual orientation, his parents might supposedly proceed with 'remedies' for this little one to 'return to normality'", Health Minister Thanos Plevris informed parliament this week.

"Obviously these treatments not only aren't a remedy however they don't seem to be supported scientifically," the minister said.

The invoice additionally bans advertising such practices.

Plevris added that Greece additionally plans to ban surgical procedures 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 female.

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Reporting by Renee Maltezou Enhancing by Bill Berkrot

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