Greece bans LGBTQ conversion therapy

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

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ATHENS, Could 10 (Reuters) - Greece on Wednesday banned conversion therapy for minors, a practice geared toward suppressing an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity and which the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans neighborhood worldwide, in addition to health consultants, have condemned as harmful.

Below the bill, which Greece's parliament authorised, psychologists or different health professionals want a person's explicit consent to perform such therapy and face fines and a jail term in the event that they violate the law.

The federal government has drafted a national technique that runs till 2025 on reforms selling 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 treatments that stated 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 instructed parliament this week.

"Clearly these therapies not only usually are not a therapy however they aren't supported scientifically," the minister stated.

The bill also bans advertising such practices.

Plevris added that Greece also plans to ban surgical procedures on intersex infants and babies born with atypical chromosomes that affect their reproductive anatomy in a means that does not match with the normative definition of male or female.

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Reporting by Renee Maltezou Modifying by Bill Berkrot

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