Greece bans LGBTQ conversion remedy

A huge rainbow flag is seen in front of the parliament building during a homosexual delight 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 toward suppressing a person's sexual orientation or gender id and which the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans group worldwide, as well as health consultants, have condemned as dangerous.

Under the invoice, which Greece's parliament accredited, psychologists or different well being professionals want an individual's explicit consent to carry out such treatment and face fines and a prison time period in the event that they violate the law.

The federal government has drafted a nationwide 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 year.

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"There were some false treatments that said that when a minor has chosen a unique sexual orientation, his mother and father might supposedly proceed with 'remedies' for this youngster to 'return to normality'", Health Minister Thanos Plevris told parliament this week.

"Clearly these remedies not only aren't a remedy but they aren't supported scientifically," the minister stated.

The invoice additionally bans advertising 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 method that does not match with the normative definition of male or female.

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Reporting by Renee Maltezou Editing by Bill Berkrot

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