First Openly Gay Prce Speaks Out on Missn to End Conversn Therapy

Contents:

• FIRST OPENLY GAY PRCE SPEAKS OUT ON MISSN TO END CONVERSN THERAPY: 'I HAVE TO KEEP FIGHTG'
• INDIA'S GAY PRCE TO OPEN HIS PALACE TO LGBTQ PEOPLE IN NEED
• WORLD'S FIRST OPENLY GAY PRCE OPENS HIS PALACE DOORS TO INDIAN LGBT COMMUNY

FIRST OPENLY GAY PRCE SPEAKS OUT ON MISSN TO END CONVERSN THERAPY: 'I HAVE TO KEEP FIGHTG'

1, 2020NEW DELHI — Born to a royal fay that once led the kgdom of Raipla India, he was raised the fay’s palac and mansns and was beg groomed to take over a dynasty that go back 600 then he gave an terview that prompted his mother to disown him and set off protts his hometown, where he was burned g out as gay that 2006 terview, Prce Manvendra Sgh Gohil has faced a torrent of bullyg and threats, and was dishered by his fay for a he has also earned global aclas for his L. Advocy, beg one of the few gay-rights activists the world wh such royal part of his efforts, Prce Manvendra, 55, has appeared on “The Oprah Wey Show” three tim, swapped life stori wh Kris Jenner on “Keepg Up Wh the Kardashians” and is workg to tablish a shelter for L. Among gay Manvendra and his hband, Andre Richardson, have spent the last few months lockdown gettg the shelter ready.

ShutterstockWhen the prce shared that he was gay that ont-page newspaper terview 14 years ago, created a storm of mostly negative publicy. Beg gay was a crimal offense India unr the archaic Brish law effect at the time.

”Beg gay was not a possibily that ever crossed his md, he said, bee he knew nothg about . I saw an article about Ashok Row Kavi and his gay magaze Bombay Dost. I cid to get touch wh him and ask him if I uld possibly be gay, ” he Kavi is a father of India’s gay-rights movement.

INDIA'S GAY PRCE TO OPEN HIS PALACE TO LGBTQ PEOPLE IN NEED

In 1977, he me out publicly and went on to found Bombay Dost, India’s first gay magaze, 1990. He found the Humsafar Tst, the first group to provi health servic and advocy for gay men, Kavi troduced Prce Manvendra to other people the muny and traed him as a unselor.

He said the prce quietly fund the first telephone help le for gay people 2000, wh Mr. Kavi’s enuragement, the prce started the Lakshya Tst Gujarat to help the gay muny work was fulfillg, but as a closeted gay man, the prce said, beme creasgly difficult to do the advocy work need for Lakshya. ’”But every doctor his parents nsulted told them the same thg — homosexualy was not a disease or a mental disorr.

WORLD'S FIRST OPENLY GAY PRCE OPENS HIS PALACE DOORS TO INDIAN LGBT COMMUNY

” Loke for The New York TimOver the past 14 years, the once-shy royal has grown acctomed to the spotlight and bee a vol activist for the gay rights movement.

” Loke for The New York TimA versn of this article appears prt on, Sectn A, Page 9 of the New York edn wh the headle: In India, a Prce Be a Gay-Rights Champn.

Prce Manvendra Sgh Gohil me out 2006 when homosexualy India was still illegal.