Shep Sgh: “I Want To Assure Other Young Queer Sikhs That One Could Be Gay and Sikh”

* gay singh *

The society he grew up around was strongly nserative, and the untry he grew up didn't legally regnize gay rights. Many around him believed that homosexualy was a mental disorr.

Much of his advocy for LGBTQ+ rights ntu to primarily revolve around cimatg the stigma around homosexualy. In 2018, the year that the Supreme Court crimalized homosexualy a landmark lg, Gohil opened up a 15-acre palace grounds to build a shelter for vulnerable members of the muny.

PRI AND PREJUDICE: INDIAN ROYAL MANVENDRA SGH GOHIL ON BEG THE WORLD’S FIRST OPENLY GAY PRCE

India's first gay prce, Prce Manvendra Sgh Gohil, is turng his anctral grounds to a center for LGBTQ+ youth. * gay singh *

"They thought was impossible that I uld be gay bee my cultural upbrgg had been so rich. Gay Indian prce Prce Manvendra Sgh Gohil, the probable heir of the Maharaja of Raipla Gujarat, has opened up his 15-acre palace grounds to vulnerable LGBT muny members and is said to be nstctg more buildgs to hoe visors. Ostracised by his fay after g out publilly 2006, Prce Manvendra started the muny-based anisatn to support gay men and te people about the preventn of HIV/Aids.

The anizatn works on var issu addrsg and advotg the social, enomic, legal, psychologil, spirual and health aspects of sexual mori (Gay, Bisexual and Transgenr populatn) the wtern Indian state of Gujarat.

Lakshya primarily works on HIV/AIDS awarens and preventn among MSM (men havg sex wh men) and GBT(gay, bisexual and transgenr) three major ci of Gujarat State of India (Vadodara, Surat and Rajkot). "If I uld unrgo the problems then any other gay person uld face a siar suatn, " he said.

ROYAL REBELS: AMAR SGH AND PRCE MANVENDRA SGH GOHILTHE ROYAL ACTIVISTS FIGHTG FOR THE RIGHTS OF LNS AS THEY LEAD INDIA’S SUPREME COURT SE TO END LGBTQ NVERSN THERAPY.BY ANDREW BULLOCKOCTOBER 18, 2022SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVETHEY SAY TAK A VILLAGE. BUT AS THE WORLD NTU TO TILT ON S CURRENT AXIS OF LUNACY, WH EVEN BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS BEG SFFED AT BY THOSE WHO THK THEY KNOW BETTER, A BATTALN SEEMS MORE APT.LET SHE A SPOTLIGHT ON JT ONE OF THE VAR POCKETS OF LNAL LAW THAT EXIST AROUND OUR PLA 2022: NVERSN THERAPY. Y, ’S STILL “A THG”. THE AIM—TO -GAY SOMEONE. OR TO “CURE” SOMEONE’S “CRISIS” OF GENR INTY. IF YOU DON'T INTIFY AS STRAIGHT, MALE OR FEMALE, YOU NEED TO BE 'FIXED'. YOU ARE NOT AQUATELY HUMAN.PRCE MANVENDRA SGH GOHIL, KNOWN AS THE WORLD'S FIRST OPENLY GAY PRCE, HAS BEEN A FACE OF INDIA’S LGBTQ MOVEMENT FOR YEARS. HE HAS WEATHERED ATH THREATS, DISOWNMENT AND THE AFOREMENTNED NVERSN THERAPY. AMAR SGH—A 33-YEAR-OLD ARTS PATRON, ENTREPRENR, AND MEMBER OF INDIA’S KAPURTHALA ROYAL FAY—HAS LLED UPON HIS OWN VAST ROURC TO FIGHT FOR THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN AND LGBTQ PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD. HE PLEDGED TO GIVE $5 LN WORTH OF ART BY WOMEN AND LGBTQ ARTISTS TO MMS WORLDWI BY 2025, AND HAS ALREADY DONATED THIS VALUE OF ART UNR TWO YEARS.AMAR, NEHER GAY NOR A WOMAN, IS AS PASSNATE ABOUT ALLYSHIP AS ADVANCG GLOBAL HUMAN RIGHTS. TOGETHER, THE INDIAN ROYALS, WHO HAVE BEEN IENDS AND FELLOW ACTIVISTS FOR 15 YEARS, ARE UNG TO ABOLISH NVERSN THERAPY THROUGHOUT INDIA’S LGBTQ MUNY, AND SEND A MSAGE TO THE WORLD. “LGBTQ RIGHTS ARE ABSOLUTELY HUMAN RIGHTS. MEN SHOULD NOT BE WRG LAWS SUPPRSG LGBTQ MUNI, MEN SHOULD NOT BE WRG LAWS SUPPRSG WOMEN,” SAYS AMAR. “THIS APPLI NOT ONLY TO INDIA BUT THE ENTIRE WORLD. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.”HE OM A LONG LE OF WOMEN’S RIGHTS ACTIVISTS. HIS ANCTOR RAJKUMARI AMR KR WAS A FEMIST LEAR INDIA DURG THE FIGHT FOR PENNCE AND HIS GRANDMOTHER CHAMPNED WOMEN’S TN ALONGSI THE LIK OF NEH. LGBTQ NVERSN THERAPY EXISTS EVERY RNER OF THE WORLD AND IS LEGAL MOST UNTRI. THAT’S NOT TO SAY SOME PROGRS HASN’T BEEN MA. BUT THERE’S STILL MUCH TO BE DONE, AND AMAR IS ARMED TO THE TEETH.HE HAD A DIFFERENT UPBRGG TO HIS IEND, PRCE MANVENDRA. AMAR WAS RAISED THE UK AND ATTEND CHARTERHOE SCHOOL, WHILE PRCE MANVENDRA GREW UP THE MOST POPULO MOCRACY THE WORLD—WHERE, IRONILLY, HE WAS FORBIDN TO LIVE EELY. IN HIS YOUTH, HE WAS BANISHED TO NVERSN URS, WHERE HE ENDURED ELECTROSHOCK THERAPY TO ZAP THE GAY OUT OF HIM. “ONCE, I WAS TAKEN TO ONE TEMPLE THE STATE OF PUNJAB,” THE PRCE REUNTS. “THEY TRY TO CURE YOU AS IF SOME SPIR OR GHOST HAS GONE SI YOU. THE PRIT WHACKED ME ONT OF SO MANY PEOPLE THE TEMPLE. HE SAID I NEED TO BE BEATEN UP TO MAKE SURE THE SPIR OUT OF ME AND THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO MAKE ME NORMAL.”PRCE MANVENDRA RELLS THIS TROUBLG EXPERIENCE WH EXCEPTNAL PRAGMATISM. YET HIS SIRE TO EVOKE CHANGE IS WHAT DRIV HIM. “ONE DON'T NORMALLY LIKE TO REMEMBER STRSFUL MEMORI; BUT THIS SE I’M MORE MOTIVATED TO PUT AN END TO NVERSN THERAPY. I DON’T WISH ANY OTHER PERSON TO SUFFER SHAME AND HUIATN—PECIALLY AT THE HANDS OF PARENTS—LIKE I HAVE. SO I DON'T LIKE TO FET WHAT I HAVE UNRGONE. REMEMBERG HELPS ME WORK TOWARDS BANNG .”IN HIS YOUTH, PRCE MANVENDRA MARRIED A WOMAN TO PLEASE HIS PARENTS. HE WAS TERVIEWED BY OPRAH WEY 2006 ABOUT THIS. THE BREAKDOWN OF THE MARRIAGE AND HIS HONTY ABOUT HIS SEXUALY LED TO ATTACKS ON HIS HOME, REJECTN OM HIS FAY AND THREATS ON HIS LIFE. “I HAVE NEVER FELT HURT WHEN PEOPLE PASS HOMOPHOBIC REMARKS. I DON'T BLAME THE PEOPLE, I BLAME THE EXISTENCE OF IGNORANCE,” HE SAYS. “IT IS MY DUTY TO BRG THEM TO A STAGE WHERE THEY ARE TED. WHERE THEY UNRSTAND THE ISSU. I HAVE SEEN A LOT OF PEOPLE CHANGE. I HAVE SEEN HOMOPHOBIA TRANSN—I’VE SEEN PEOPLE TURN TO SUPPORTERS.”MOST POPULARTHE YSSO FOUNR SHAR HER INSPIRATNSTHE A-LIST: WHAT TO DO IN LONDON THIS WEEKBY V.F. LONDONLOUISE SIMMONDS SHAR HER INSPIRATNSPRCE MANVENDRA WON'T ENURAGE PEOPLE TO FLEE OM HATE. “THAT'S PISM AND I DON'T BELIEVE OR PREACH THAT. WE NEED TO FACE THE HOMOPHOBIC WORLD AND FACE THE CHALLENG AND OBSTABL WE’RE UP AGAST, STEAD OF NNG OM THEM. THAT IS THE ONLY WAY WE N BRG ABOUT CHANGE AND GET PEOPLE TO ACCEPT ,” HE SAYS.SO, WHERE IS THAT BATTALN? IT EXISTS THE FORM OF PRCE MANVENDRA AND AMAR, BOTH OF WHOM LENT THEIR VOIC, ALONGSI OTHERS, TO TAKE DOWN THE SECTN 377 LAW INDIA 2018, WHICH CRIMALISED HOMOSEXUALY. OF THIS, AMAR REMARKS: “Y, HOMOSEXUALY MIGHT HAVE BE LEGALISED BUT NVERSN THERAPY STILL EXISTS, SAME-SEX MARRIAGE IS ILLEGAL AND SAME-SEX ADOPTN IS ILLEGAL. I WON’T RT UNTIL ALL HUMAN RIGHTS ARE AFFORD TO LGBTQ MUNI.”WHILST AMAR WAS NOT PART OF THE FORMAL SUPREME COURT PROCEEDGS THAT LEGALISED HOMOSEXUALY, HE SAW HOW INDIA’S JTICE SYSTEM ULD BE UTILISED AS A FORCE FOR GOOD. MOST PEOPLE SPENT LOCKDOWN READG BOOKS AND WATCHG NETFLIX; AMAR SPENT BUILDG AN ENTIRE SUPREME COURT SE TO TAKE DOWN NVERSN THERAPY INDIA.FIRST, HE HAD TO BUILD HIS SE, A TWO-YEAR TASK STARTG AS SOON AS THE PREV SE HAD BEEN SUCCSFUL. BETWEEN 2018 AND 2020 HE APPROACHED LEADG THORI SUCH AS HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH, THE UNED NATNS AND THE WORLD PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATN TO PROVI HIM WH THEIR BACKG. “I DIDN’T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER. THE PEOPLE I FOUND WHO ULD HELP ME TAKE THIS SE FORWARD, I LLED AND EMAILED THEM NON STOP.”A LARGE PART OF AMAR’S LOCKDOWN WAS SPENT ON ZOOM LLS WH LEADG LGBTQ FIGUR SUCH AS THE UNED NATNS’ VICTOR MADRIGAL-BORLOZ AND DR DH BHUGRA CBE, FORMER HEAD OF THE WORLD PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATN. BOTH MEN BRAND NVERSN THERAPY “AN IMMORAL PRACTICE”.AMAR’S CENTIVE WAS SOMEWHAT SIMPLE: PROVE THAT NVERSN THERAPY WAS EFFECTIVE AND DANGERO. SMART, THEREFORE, TO ASK THE WORLD’S LEADG VOIC HUMAN RIGHTS AND MENTAL HEALTH FOR THEIR PUT. THE LETTERS AND DOCUMENTS OM THE THORI ME THROUGH, SER SUPPORT TOWARDS THE SE. AMAR ALSO SPOKE TO UNTLS MEMBERS OF THE LGBTQ MUNY—STUNTS, AMICS, LAWMAKERS— ORR TO FURTHER GATHER EVINCE FOR HIS DOSSIER. RYAN LANJI (OF BBC THREE'S BIG PROUD PARTY AGENCY) ADMIR PRCE MANVENDRA AND AMAR’S DITN TO LGBTQ RIGHTS. BORN CANADA TO HDU PUNJABI PARENTS, RYAN IS A SELF-PROFSED “BEAN” FOR LGBTQ SOUTH ASIANS. HE “LIK TO LIVE LATERALLY AS A FORM OF HOPE, TO PROVE THERE IS LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL”.RYAN’S EXPERIENCE OF NVERSN THERAPY WAS SUBTLE, SUGGTED AND SELF-FLICTED. “IN MY YOUTH, I WAS MA TO FEEL THAT I HAD TO DRS STRAIGHT AND NOT DANCE TO BOLLYWOOD MIC AND FEEL THAT I ULDN'T ENJOY OKG WH MY NTI. I HAD TO GO OUT AND DRK BEER WH MY UNCL AND MOW THE YARD. I HAD TO NSCLY VERT MYSELF TO BE MORE PALPABLE TO THE MEN,” HE REUNTS. “WHEN I ME OUT TO MY MUM, SHE ASKED IF I SHOULD SEE A PROFSNAL TO HELP ME. THAT WAS A VASTATG FEELG. SHE WAS SUGGTG THAT SOMEONE TRY AND HELP ME BE SOMEONE OTHER THAN WHO I WAS. I DIDN’T GRASP THIS AS A FORM OF ‘NVERSN THERAPY’ AT THE TIME BUT I SAID TO HER, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNY TO TACKLE SOMETHG DIFFICULT TOGETHER HERE. WE HAD THE OPPORTUNY TO BREAK THE MOULD, RATHER THAN ADD TO THE OBSTACL."MOST POPULARTHE YSSO FOUNR SHAR HER INSPIRATNSTHE A-LIST: WHAT TO DO IN LONDON THIS WEEKBY V.F. LONDONLOUISE SIMMONDS SHAR HER INSPIRATNSBY ADDG HIS VOICE TO AMAR AND PRCE MANVENDRA’S EFFORTS, LANJI AIMS TO HELP OTHERS VISUALISE THE POSSIBILI OF NOT HAVG TO NVERT THEMSELV. “CONVERSN N BE SOMETHG YOU DO TO YOURSELF. MANY QUEER SOUTH ASIANS ARE DACLY LIVG THEIR THENTIC QUEER LIV OR SUPRSG EPLY. YOU EHER EXILE YOURSELF OR YOU SWALLOW YOUR TTH SO EPLY AND JT TRY TO APPEASE YOUR PARENTS UNTIL THEY ARE NO LONGER WH . BUT MY RAISON D'êTRE IS THAT THE DIVIDUALS ARE CELEBRATED THEIR HOM REGARDLS OF HOW TRADNAL THEY ARE. THERE IS MUCH MORE STRENGTH TO A FAY WHO SHOWS UNNDNAL ACCEPTANCE. THAT’S WHERE THE ALLYSHIP OF PEOPLE PHG FOR THIS SE .”HOW DO ONE PH A SE THROUGH THE SUPREME COURT THOUGH? RIGHTS FOR LGBTQ PEOPLE INDIA IS STILL A H NCEPT AND REMAS TABOO. ONE NNOT MERELY KNOCK ON THE DOOR AND ASK TO BE HEARD—EVEN WH A HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER YOUR BACK POCKET LIKE AMAR AND THE PRCE. “I REACHED OUT TO DOZENS OF LAWYERS ACROSS INDIA. I N STILL HEAR THE SOUND OF PHON HANGG UP WHEN I THK ABOUT ,” AMAR RELLS. “THANKFULLY I ME ACROSS A HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER LLED RAVI KANT WHO DITED HIS LIFE TO WOMEN’S RIGHTS AND WON IMPORTANT S AT INDIA’S SUPREME COURT. HE AGREED TO TAKE MY SE—HIS FIRST LGBTQ SE.”KANT IS SOMETHG OF A LEGEND. ASI OM HIS ANTI-TRAFFICKG EXPERTISE, HE WON THE LANDMARK INDIAN SUPREME COURT SE SHAKTI VAHI VS UNN OF INDIA (2018), WHICH TOOK ON ANOTHER OUTDATED PRACTICE: HONOUR KILLG. KANT’S VICTORY SAW THE URT IMPLEMENT GUIL TO CURB PUTTG THOSE TO ATH WHO BRG SO-LLED SHAME ON A FAY. KANT RECED FELLOW HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER ANKA SURABHI AND UNED WH AMAR TO FORMALISE THE NVERSN THERAPY SE.“AMAR EMAILED ME AND THEN WE HAD A ZOOM LL 2020. I AGREED TO TAKE THIS SE TO HELP THE LGBTQ MUNY AND PECIALLY TO HELP CHILDREN WH THIS MUNY,” KANT EXPLAS. AMAR TOOK RE OF THE STS—SOMETHG HE NTU TO DO. HIS PHILANTHROPIC ENAVOURS ARE UNWAVERG THE FIGHT FOR EQUALY (AMONGST OTHER DONATNS, BETWEEN 2021-2022, AMAR DONATED $250,000 ALONGSI LVMH AND THE REWD COLLECTIVE TO THE FOUNDATN MAG JNE PARIS TO HELP LGBTQ YOUTH AND PLEDGED $1 LN TO VAL VOIC FOUNDATN TO FURTHER WOMEN’S RIGHTS). “BEG AN ALLY IS THE LEAST WE N DO TO HELP THOSE NEED," HE PRS. “ALLYSHIP IS SENTIAL FOR HUMAN RIGHTS TO PREVAIL.”TO BE A PETNER AN INDIAN SUPREME COURT SE YOU HAVE TO BE AN INDIAN CIZEN. AMAR, WHO IS NOT AN INDIAN CIZEN, HAD TO FD A PERSON BORN THE UNTRY. HE REACHED OUT TO HIS IEND PRCE MANVENDRA AND ASKED HIM TO BE THE LEAD PETNER ON THE SE. PRCE MANVENDRA AGREED, SPE KNOWG THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WH SUCH A HIGH PROFILE MATTER. “I NTRIBUTE TO THIS E BY SHARG MY STGGL, MY PERSONAL STORY OF G OUT TO MY PARENTS AND THE MEDIL AND RELIG NVERSN THEY TRIED TO IMPOSE ON ME,” THE PRCE SAYS.MOST POPULARTHE YSSO FOUNR SHAR HER INSPIRATNSTHE A-LIST: WHAT TO DO IN LONDON THIS WEEKBY V.F. LONDONLOUISE SIMMONDS SHAR HER INSPIRATNSTHE TEAM BROUGHT ON A SEND PETNER, DEEPAK KAYSHAP, WHO HAD EXPERIENCED NVERSN THERAPY AS A CHILD. “I AM GRATEFUL TO PRCE MANVENDRA AND DEEPAK FOR BEG THE PETNERS BEE THEIR BRAVERY PUTTG THEMSELV AS INDIAN CIZENS AT THE ONT OF THIS SE WILL HELP IMPACT THE LIV OF ALL LGBTQ CIZENS OF INDIA,” AMAR SAYS. PRCE MANVENDRA ADDS: “AMAR IS A VERY GOOD IEND OF ME. HE’S A STRAIGHT PERSON BUT VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THE LGBTQ E. SCE 2010, HE HAS ACTIVELY BEEN ADVOTG MY E, LGBTQ RIGHTS AND, BY PUTTG TOGETHER THE SE TO END NVERSN THERAPY, HE HAS BEEN THE ULTIMATE ALLY."THE ROAD TO VICTORY AT THE SUPREME COURT REMAS STONY, BUT A DREAM TEAM HAS BEEN ASSEMBLED. THE FIGHT FOR LGBTQ RIGHTS REMAS ASSERTIVE AND NFINT. NOW, THEY WA FOR A HEARG. PRCE MANVENDRA REMAS UNWAVERG HIS FAH THE SE, SAYG HE IS “SURE NVERSN THERAPY WILL BE BANNED”. HE PARTICULARLY LOOKS FOR HOPE THE OUTE OF THE MADRAS HIGH COURT'S BAN ON NVERSN THERAPY THE STATE OF TA NADU, THE FIRST STATE INDIA TO SEE THIS HAPPEN. “THIS MAK OUR SE TO BAN THIS PRACTICE ON A NATNAL LEVEL MUCH STRONGER,” HE SAYS. AND, UNDOUBTEDLY, THERE'S STRENGTH NUMBERS.ANDREW BULLOCK

He is also gay - a fact that he has kept mostly private until now. From them I have received ath threats for beg gay, I have been acced on a TV statn of beg an fil and I have even had dividuals ll me up and threaten to expose me.

HOW INDIA'S FIRST GAY PRCE IS SAVG LGBTQ+ YOUTH

He wanted to tell his story on his own terms, and also to send a msage to gay Sikhs facg difficulti. "Jasvir says that the Sikh relign which he grew up wh his fay, was very foced on a central te of equaly, and says he has never felt his fah to be nflict wh his homosexualy.

Though many Sikhs see thgs differently, Jasvir says he never saw any nflict the relign's teachgs and scripture between his fah and his sexual Gu Granth Sahib, the re Sikh relig text, do not refer to homosexualy at all, but do make mentn of hbands and wiv. This has allowed Sikhs on different sis of the bate to pot to scripture as backg up their own posn on homosexualy and on same-sex unns.

"Sadly I know gay Sikhs who have given up their fah, or who feel their only optn was to cut their hair, and to bee ls fahful, or jt foc on their ner fah rather than spend time at the gurdwara. I'm not gog to waver om my fah but I'm also not gog to be ashamed of my sexualy, " Jasvir of Jasvir's reason for speakg out is also bee he says he had never had gay Sikh role mols, particularly upl and those who nsired themselv to be relig.

OPENLY GAY INDIAN PRCE JOS CALLS TO BAN LGBT CONVERSN THERAPY

"When that weddg vio was leaked and malicly spread around social media, was the way one of my elrly relativ found out I was gay, " he says. But the fay’s reactn was right out of a handbook, bee beg gay is still related to shame most South Asian South Asian fai the Wt still fd difficult to even talk about sex, and would rather have believe babi are born om holdg hands, let alone discs sexualy outsi of a tradnal heterosexual relatnship. It was around this time she actually found Sgh’s vios and even though they weren’t anythg to do wh beg gay, they were about self-love—exactly what Hunter need at the time.

And that’s ually what a lot of LGBTQI South Asians also discs among themselv—how to e out when they’re unsure whether their parents even know what beg gay Nagra, a 34-year-old Canadian wh Punjabi herage, me out to her parents 10 years ago. The Vanuver illtrator scrib her g out as an “impactful experience”, a nversatn which fished wh her mother givg her the tightt hug of her gay is almost a taboo the subntent—lack of tn, awarens, and the fact that no South Asian public figure, at least no one wh Sgh’s profile, has acknowledged their sexualy.

Nagra relled her iend’s g out to his mother, who thought he wanted a sex change when he told her he was Bollywood, which produc hundreds of movi watched by lns around the world, until as recently as this year has never openly clud homosexualy as a part of s ma storyle, but rather only picted facetly through movi like Dostana, starrg the middle of such tightly packed silence, when a world popular role mol like Lilly Sgh forward, she’s almost forcg people to have a much need nversatn.

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IN INDIA, A GAY PRCE’S COMG OUT EARNS ACLAS, AND ENEMI

INDIA'S FIRST OPENLY GAY PRCE ENDURED YEARS OF TORTURO NVERSN THERAPY. NOW, HE'S FIGHTG TO MAKE THE PRACTICE ILLEGAL.

INDIA'S GAY PRCE MANVENDRA SGH OPENS HIS PALACE TO LGBT PEOPLE