Greece bans LGBTQ conversion therapy

A huge rainbow flag is seen in front 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 therapy for minors, a follow geared toward suppressing an individual's sexual orientation or gender identification and which the lesbian, homosexual, bisexual and trans community worldwide, in addition to health specialists, have condemned as dangerous.

Under the bill, which Greece's parliament approved, psychologists or different well being professionals want an individual's specific consent to perform such treatment and face fines and a prison time period if they violate the legislation.

The federal government has drafted a national strategy that runs till 2025 on reforms promoting gender equality in Greece, a largely conservative nation. Canada, New Zealand and France criminalized conversion therapy earlier this yr.

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

"Clearly these therapies not solely are usually not a remedy but they are not supported scientifically," the minister mentioned.

The invoice additionally bans advertising such practices.

Plevris added that Greece additionally plans to ban surgeries on intersex infants and infants born with atypical chromosomes that have an effect on their reproductive anatomy in a means that does not fit with the normative definition of male or female.

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Reporting by Renee Maltezou Enhancing by Invoice Berkrot

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