"It's believed the couple forged a relationship with the Star Bulletin when they were gay rights activists living in Hawaii.

Mr Beatie, who was known as Tracy LaGondino when he lived on the island of Oahu, fought for the right for gay couples to adopt children and battled hate crimes.

Mr Beatie's friends in Honolulu also told the local TV station KITV last night that when he was a woman, LaGondino was in love with his wife-to-be, who was known as Nancy Roberts at the time.

LaGondino later married Roberts after legally being declared a man and having a sex change, where she became Thomas Beatie, because Hawaii's laws did not support same-sex marriage.
"