Meet Manvendra Singh Gohil, India's only openly gay prince
What's it like to be the only openly gay crown prince in a country that criminalizes the act of homosexuality? The next-in-line to the throne of Gujarat's town Rajpipla, prince Manvendra Singh Gohil, now 52, struggled with his sexuality for years. From a closeted gay royal to now an LGBT activist, his journey has been unique. Here, we look at it and more.
A failed marriage, years of depression, episode of nervous breakdown
Hoping his homosexuality was temporary, Gohil got married thinking it would help him. However, it made matters worse. He could never consummate the marriage in the one year that he was with his wife Chandrika. They eventually got divorced. After battling depression for years and an episode of nervous breakdown, Gohil finally came out to his parents, who asked him to keep it a secret.
People burned effigies, parents disowned him
In 2006, a journalist convinced him to come out publicly to help break the taboo around homosexuality in India. He did and was met with severe criticism. The people of Rajpipla burned his effigies, wanted him stripped off his title, be barred from royal events, ostracized. Even his parents issued notices to publicly disown him from the princely family and ancestral property.
The de-facto brand ambassador of India's LGBT movement
However, the public ridicule and estrangement from family didn't stop Gohil from spreading awareness around LGBT issues, especially in Indian small towns. He founded the Lakshya Trust in Rajpipla to further his cause. Now a dedicated LGBT campaigner, he is regularly featured in the media, gets invited to talks and interviews the world over, his most notable being the ones with Oprah Winfrey.
Gohil to open an LGBT community center in his palace
In January 2018, Gohil announced that he'd open a community center for LGBT folks, in his palace. "I am not going to have children, so I thought, why not use this space for a good purpose?" Gohil told Reuters. Financed by crowdfunding/donations, the center will conduct free safe-sex seminars, provide them rooms, medical facilities, financial support, and English, vocational training to become financially independent.
