Greece bans LGBTQ conversion remedy

An enormous rainbow flag is seen in entrance of the parliament building during a homosexual pride parade in Athens, Greece June 10, 2017. REUTERS/Costas Baltas

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ATHENS, Could 10 (Reuters) - Greece on Wednesday banned conversion remedy for minors, a apply geared toward suppressing a person's sexual orientation or gender identity and which the lesbian, homosexual, bisexual and trans community worldwide, in addition to health experts, have condemned as harmful.

Underneath the invoice, which Greece's parliament authorized, psychologists or other health professionals want a person's specific consent to carry out such therapy and face fines and a jail time period if they violate the regulation.

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 yr.

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

"Obviously these therapies not only aren't a therapy but they are not supported scientifically," the minister stated.

The bill additionally bans promoting such practices.

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

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Reporting by Renee Maltezou Modifying by Bill Berkrot

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