ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece on Wednesday banned conversion therapy for minors, a practice aimed at suppressing a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity and which the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans community worldwide, as well as health experts, have condemned as harmful.
Under the bill, which Greece’s parliament approved, psychologists or other health professionals need a person’s explicit consent to perform such treatment and face fines and a prison term if they violate the law.
The government has drafted a national strategy that runs until 2025 on reforms promoting gender equality in Greece, a largely conservative country. Canada, New Zealand and France criminalized conversion therapy earlier this year.
“There were some false treatments that stated that when a minor has chosen a different sexual orientation, his parents could supposedly proceed with ‘treatments’ for this child to ‘return to normality’”, Health Minister Thanos Plevris told parliament this week.
“Obviously these treatments not only are not a therapy but they are not supported scientifically,” the minister said.
The bill also bans advertising 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 does not fit with the normative definition of male or female.
Greece has banned so-called "conversion therapy" for minors - conversion therapy attempts to suppress a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
It has been established that there is no scientific or medical basis for conversion therapy practices and the impacts are extremely harmful.
Under the bill, which Greece’s parliament approved, psychologists or other health professionals need a person’s explicit consent to perform such treatment and face fines and a prison term if they violate the law. The bill also bans advertising such practices.
What's life like for LGBTQ people in Greece?
What’s life like for LGBTQ people in Greece? Let’s take a look at some of the key equality indicators.
Is homosexuality legal in Greece?
Yes. Same-sex sexual activity was decriminalised in 1951.
The age-of-consent was equalised in 2015.
Are there anti-discrimination protections in place for LGBTQ people?
Yes. Comprehensive anti-discrimination protections were implemented in 2005.
Is there Marriage Equality in Greece?
No. Same-sex relationships have been legally recognised since 2015.
What’s life like for LGBTQ people in Greece?
In general, Greece is a pretty good part of the world for LGBTQ people.
There is a vibrant and visible LGBTQ community – particularly in Athens and on some of the islands.
