Aucklander Racheal McGonigal, who has had gender reassignment surgery and her birth certificate changed, says some of her peers believe that the court process should be made easier, but she believes the current process shows a commitment.

Stephanie Dixon looks like a woman, talks like a woman and walks like a woman.

She has breasts and female genitalia, but when she had to provide her birth certificate as proof of identification when signing up for a beauty technician's course, it said she was a male.

The 43-year-old, who had gender reassignment surgery and breast augmentation, is attempting to change that and has a Family Court declaration to say she can.

However, the process has stalled because Dixon is still technically married to the mother of her children, and same-sex marriage in New Zealand isn't legal. Louisa Wall's Marriage Equality Bill would change that. The bill would allow for transsexuals to marry in their chosen sex or stay married in their chosen sex.

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