Greece bans LGBTQ conversion therapy

A huge rainbow flag is seen in front of the parliament constructing during a gay delight parade in Athens, Greece June 10, 2017. REUTERS/Costas Baltas

Register

ATHENS, May 10 (Reuters) - Greece on Wednesday banned conversion remedy for minors, a practice geared toward suppressing a person's sexual orientation or gender identification and which the lesbian, homosexual, bisexual and trans group worldwide, as well as health specialists, have condemned as harmful.

Under the bill, which Greece's parliament authorized, psychologists or other well being professionals need a person's express consent to perform such therapy and face fines and a jail time period in the event that they violate the legislation.

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

Register

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

"Clearly these treatments not solely should not a therapy but they don't seem to be 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 means that doesn't match with the normative definition of male or feminine.

Register

Reporting by Renee Maltezou Editing by Bill Berkrot

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Belief Ideas.