Greece bans LGBTQ conversion therapy

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

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ATHENS, May 10 (Reuters) - Greece on Wednesday banned conversion therapy for minors, a observe aimed toward suppressing an individual's sexual orientation or gender identification and which the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans group worldwide, as well as health specialists, have condemned as dangerous.

Below the bill, which Greece's parliament accepted, psychologists or other well being professionals want a person's explicit consent to perform such remedy and face fines and a prison time period in the event that they violate the regulation.

The government has drafted a nationwide strategy that runs until 2025 on reforms promoting gender equality in Greece, a largely conservative country. Canada, New Zealand and France criminalized conversion therapy earlier this year.

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"There have been some false remedies that said that when a minor has chosen a different sexual orientation, his parents might supposedly proceed with 'therapies' for this child to 'return to normality'", Well being Minister Thanos Plevris told parliament this week.

"Obviously these treatments not solely will not be 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 method that does not fit with the normative definition of male or female.

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Reporting by Renee Maltezou Enhancing by Invoice Berkrot

Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.