Greece bans LGBTQ conversion therapy

A huge rainbow flag is seen in front of the parliament constructing during a gay pleasure 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 identification and which the lesbian, homosexual, bisexual and trans group worldwide, as well as well being experts, have condemned as dangerous.

Underneath the bill, which Greece's parliament authorised, psychologists or other well being professionals want a person's explicit consent to carry out such therapy and face fines and a prison time period if they violate the legislation.

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

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"There were some false remedies that said that when a minor has chosen a different sexual orientation, his parents may supposedly proceed with 'remedies' for this child to 'return to normality'", Health Minister Thanos Plevris told parliament this week.

"Clearly these therapies not solely should not a therapy but they are not supported scientifically," the minister stated.

The bill additionally 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 feminine.

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Reporting by Renee Maltezou Editing by Bill Berkrot

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