Greece bans LGBTQ conversion remedy

A huge rainbow flag is seen in front of the parliament building throughout a homosexual 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 apply geared toward suppressing an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity and which the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans neighborhood worldwide, in addition to health consultants, have condemned as harmful.

Under the bill, which Greece's parliament authorised, psychologists or different health professionals want an individual's specific consent to perform such remedy and face fines and a prison time period if they violate the law.

The government has drafted a national strategy that runs till 2025 on reforms promoting gender equality in Greece, a largely conservative country. Canada, New Zealand and France criminalized conversion remedy earlier this 12 months.

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

"Obviously these therapies not only are usually not a therapy but they don't seem to be supported scientifically," the minister said.

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 manner that doesn't match with the normative definition of male or feminine.

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Reporting by Renee Maltezou Editing by Invoice Berkrot

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