Members of the transgender community are devastated at the Government's decision to delay a law change that would make it easier for people to change their gender on their birth certificate.
A Parliamentary committee was considering changes so people would not have to go through the Family Court and give medical evidence.
Currently people can amend the gender on their birth certificates through the Family Court, they need to provide evidence of medical treatment, it costs $258 and can take over a year.
About 25 people go through this annually.
Health and human rights researcher Jack Byrne said changing the gender on his birth certificate was a long and drawn-out process.
"One young person who rang me just said that she felt hopeless, she'd just given up hope," he said.
"Our community is small... Sometimes we're really vulnerable if we don't have other people standing beside us and supporting us."
The Minister said she had received advice from Crown Law to put the bill on hold, despite drawing criticism for the move. (Source: Other)
The change inserted to make this easier was a "small change that makes a big difference for us".
"It doesn't hurt other people."
However Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin said there were too many legal fish hooks for places like prisons or schools.
"That has implications downstream and creates questions we don't know the answers to.
"For example, if a young person who had changed their gender through the statutory declaration from, let's just say, from male to female, went to a girl's school and wanted to enroll, um what is the position of the girl's school?"
She admitted this was a "big call" to make, and they are looking to make the Family Court process less invasive and expensive.
Ahi Wi-Hongi of Gender Minorities Aotearoa said trans people are "absolutely devastated about it".
Jacinda Ardern said without the right process, "it might not achieve what the community wants it to achieve". (Source: Other)
"I think after such a long wait, waiting for basic human rights, surely everyone has the right to a birth certificate who matches who they are."
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