Greece bans LGBTQ conversion therapy

An enormous rainbow flag is seen in entrance of the parliament constructing throughout a homosexual pride 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 apply geared toward suppressing an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity and which the lesbian, homosexual, bisexual and trans group worldwide, in addition to well being specialists, have condemned as dangerous.

Under the bill, which Greece's parliament approved, psychologists or other health professionals want an individual's explicit consent to carry out such treatment and face fines and a jail time period if they violate the regulation.

The federal government has drafted a nationwide technique that runs till 2025 on reforms selling gender equality in Greece, a largely conservative country. Canada, New Zealand and France criminalized conversion remedy earlier this yr.

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"There have been some false therapies that acknowledged that when a minor has chosen a special sexual orientation, his dad and mom might supposedly proceed with 'therapies' for this child to 'return to normality'", Health Minister Thanos Plevris advised parliament this week.

"Clearly these treatments not only usually are not a remedy however they don't seem to be supported scientifically," the minister stated.

The invoice additionally bans promoting such practices.

Plevris added that Greece additionally plans to ban surgical procedures on intersex infants and babies born with atypical chromosomes that have an effect on their reproductive anatomy in a way that doesn't 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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