The Trump administration moved Friday to roll back Obama-era protections for transgender patients, the third rule change issued this month that LGBTQ advocates say will sanction discrimination against transgender people.

The Health and Human Services Department’s proposed new rule, released Friday, says in effect that federal laws banning sex discrimination in health care don’t apply to people’s “gender identity.” The proposed rule from HHS reverses President Barack Obama’s administration, which found that the Affordable Care Act’s anti-discrimination section does indeed protect transgender people seeking health care services.

The rule can be finalized after a 60-day public comment period.

“When Congress prohibited sex discrimination, it did so according to the plain meaning of the term, and we are making our regulations conform,” HHS’ director of the Office of Civil Rights, Roger Severino, said in a statement announcing the proposed change.

LGBTQ rights groups denounced the move, as did Rep. Jennifer Wexton, D-Va., a vocal advocate for transgender equality.

“By repealing a regulation clarifying that LGBT people are protected against health care discrimination under the Affordable Care Act’s nondiscrimination provisions, the Trump Administration seeks to deny life-saving health care to LGBT people and others and replaces these critical […]