Greece bans LGBTQ conversion remedy

An enormous rainbow flag is seen in front of the parliament constructing throughout a gay pleasure 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 follow geared toward suppressing a person's sexual orientation or gender identity and which the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans community worldwide, as well as well being specialists, have condemned as harmful.

Beneath the bill, which Greece's parliament authorized, psychologists or other well being professionals want an individual's explicit consent to perform such therapy and face fines and a prison term if they violate the regulation.

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

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"There have been some false remedies that acknowledged that when a minor has chosen a special sexual orientation, his dad and mom might supposedly proceed with 'treatments' for this little one to 'return to normality'", Well being Minister Thanos Plevris told parliament this week.

"Obviously these remedies not only will not be a remedy however they aren't 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 infants born with atypical chromosomes that affect their reproductive anatomy in a way that does not fit with the normative definition of male or feminine.

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Reporting by Renee Maltezou Editing by Bill Berkrot

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