Ben Johnson of LifeSiteNews:

The author of a California bill that would forbid minors from seeking therapy to overcome unwanted feelings of same-sex attraction has admitted his intention was to undermine parental rights.

State Senator Ted Lieu wants to undercut parental rights.

“The attack on parental rights is exactly the whole point of the bill, because we don’t want to let parents harm their children,” said State Senator Ted Lieu, D-Torrance.

Senate Bill 1172 would ban anyone under 18 from receiving reparative or sexual orientation conversion therapy, even if requested by the teens or their parents. The bill would label the treatment “unprofessional conduct” and “therapeutic deception.”

The bill passed the state Senate in June. It is now being considered in the state Assembly.

After likening the therapy to allowing children to smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol, the 43-year-old Taiwanese-born legislator said, ““We have these laws to stop parents from hurting their kids. Preventive therapy hurts children, so this bill allows us to stop parents from hurting their children.”