Greece bans LGBTQ conversion remedy

An enormous rainbow flag is seen in entrance of the parliament constructing throughout a gay pride 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 geared toward suppressing a person's sexual orientation or gender id and which the lesbian, homosexual, bisexual and trans group worldwide, as well as health specialists, have condemned as dangerous.

Under the invoice, which Greece's parliament authorized, psychologists or different health professionals need an individual's explicit consent to carry out such remedy and face fines and a jail term if they violate the legislation.

The federal government has drafted a national 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 yr.

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"There were some false remedies that stated that when a minor has chosen a different sexual orientation, his mother and father could supposedly proceed with 'remedies' for this little one to 'return to normality'", Health Minister Thanos Plevris instructed parliament this week.

"Clearly these treatments not only are usually not a therapy but they are not supported scientifically," the minister said.

The bill also bans promoting such practices.

Plevris added that Greece additionally plans to ban surgeries on intersex infants and babies born with atypical chromosomes that affect their reproductive anatomy in a way that doesn't fit with the normative definition of male or feminine.

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Reporting by Renee Maltezou Modifying by Bill Berkrot

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