Greece bans LGBTQ conversion therapy

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

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ATHENS, Might 10 (Reuters) - Greece on Wednesday banned conversion remedy 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, as well as health experts, have condemned as harmful.

Underneath the bill, which Greece's parliament accredited, psychologists or different health professionals want a person's express consent to carry out such remedy and face fines and a prison time period if they violate the legislation.

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 treatments that acknowledged that when a minor has chosen a special sexual orientation, his mother and father might supposedly proceed with 'remedies' for this little one to 'return to normality'", Health Minister Thanos Plevris advised parliament this week.

"Obviously these remedies not only will not be a therapy however they don't seem to be supported scientifically," the minister said.

The invoice 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 means that does not fit with the normative definition of male or feminine.

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Reporting by Renee Maltezou Enhancing by Bill Berkrot

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