Greece bans LGBTQ conversion therapy

An enormous rainbow flag is seen in front of the parliament building during a gay 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 practice aimed toward suppressing a person's sexual orientation or gender identity and which the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans neighborhood worldwide, as well as health consultants, have condemned as dangerous.

Below the bill, which Greece's parliament approved, psychologists or other health professionals need an individual's express consent to perform such remedy and face fines and a jail time period if they violate the legislation.

The federal government has drafted a nationwide strategy that runs until 2025 on reforms selling gender equality in Greece, a largely conservative nation. Canada, New Zealand and France criminalized conversion therapy earlier this year.

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

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

The bill additionally bans advertising 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 approach that doesn't fit with the normative definition of male or feminine.

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Reporting by Renee Maltezou Modifying by Invoice Berkrot

Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Trust Ideas.