Greece bans LGBTQ conversion remedy

An enormous rainbow flag is seen in entrance of the parliament building during 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 observe aimed toward suppressing an individual's sexual orientation or gender identification and which the lesbian, homosexual, bisexual and trans group worldwide, as well as well being experts, have condemned as harmful.

Beneath the bill, which Greece's parliament authorized, psychologists or different well being professionals want an individual's express consent to perform such therapy and face fines and a jail term in the event that they violate the regulation.

The government has drafted a nationwide technique that runs until 2025 on reforms selling gender equality in Greece, a largely conservative country. Canada, New Zealand and France criminalized conversion therapy earlier this 12 months.

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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 may supposedly proceed with 'treatments' for this baby to 'return to normality'", Health Minister Thanos Plevris told parliament this week.

"Clearly these remedies not solely will not be a therapy but they aren't supported scientifically," the minister mentioned.

The bill also bans advertising such practices.

Plevris added that Greece additionally plans to ban surgical procedures on intersex infants and infants 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 Bill Berkrot

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