Greece bans LGBTQ conversion therapy

A huge rainbow flag is seen in entrance of the parliament building 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 apply aimed toward suppressing a person's sexual orientation or gender identification and which the lesbian, homosexual, bisexual and trans neighborhood worldwide, in addition to well being specialists, have condemned as dangerous.

Underneath the invoice, which Greece's parliament approved, psychologists or different health professionals want a person's express consent to perform such remedy and face fines and a prison time period in the event that they violate the legislation.

The federal government has drafted a nationwide strategy that runs until 2025 on reforms selling gender equality in Greece, a largely conservative country. Canada, New Zealand and France criminalized conversion remedy earlier this year.

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"There have been some false remedies that stated that when a minor has chosen a different sexual orientation, his parents may supposedly proceed with 'treatments' for this little one to 'return to normality'", Health Minister Thanos Plevris advised parliament this week.

"Clearly these remedies not solely will not be a remedy but they aren't supported scientifically," the minister said.

The invoice also bans promoting such practices.

Plevris added that Greece additionally plans to ban surgical procedures on intersex infants and infants born with atypical chromosomes that have an effect on their reproductive anatomy in a way that doesn't fit with the normative definition of male or female.

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Reporting by Renee Maltezou Enhancing by Bill Berkrot

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