Namibia court grants citizenship to gay couple’s son

The high court in Namibia has granted citizenship to a two-year-old son born through surrogacy to a gay couple.

The government had refused to give citizenship to the boy, who was born in South Africa, saying he needed to do a paternity test, but this was overruled by the court.

The couple, Namibian Philip Lühl and his Mexican husband Guillermo Delgado, already have twin daughters, who were also born in South Africa via surrogacy.

Their lawyer Uno Katjipuka-Sibolile said the twins should now also be able to obtain citizenship.

The ruling has been widely seen as a win for gay couples in Namibia, where homosexual acts are illegal.