Greece bans LGBTQ conversion therapy

An enormous rainbow flag is seen in front of the parliament constructing throughout a homosexual pleasure 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 practice aimed toward suppressing a person's sexual orientation or gender identification and which the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans neighborhood worldwide, as well as well being specialists, have condemned as harmful.

Underneath the bill, which Greece's parliament accepted, psychologists or other well being professionals need an individual's explicit consent to perform such remedy and face fines and a prison term in the event that they violate the regulation.

The government has drafted a national strategy that runs till 2025 on reforms selling gender equality in Greece, a largely conservative nation. Canada, New Zealand and France criminalized conversion remedy earlier this 12 months.

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"There have been some false remedies that said that when a minor has chosen a distinct sexual orientation, his mother and father may supposedly proceed with 'therapies' for this baby to 'return to normality'", Health Minister Thanos Plevris instructed parliament this week.

"Clearly these treatments not only should not a remedy however they are not supported scientifically," the minister stated.

The invoice also bans promoting such practices.

Plevris added that Greece also plans to ban surgeries on intersex infants and babies born with atypical chromosomes that have an effect on their reproductive anatomy in a manner that does not match with the normative definition of male or feminine.

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Reporting by Renee Maltezou Enhancing by Invoice Berkrot

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