India's First Openly Gay Prce Turned His Palace Into a Safe Haven for the LGBTQ+ Communy

Contents:

• INDIA'S FIRST OPENLY GAY PRCE ENDURED YEARS OF TORTURO NVERSN THERAPY. NOW, HE'S FIGHTG TO MAKE THE PRACTICE ILLEGAL.
• IN INDIA, A GAY PRCE’S COMG OUT EARNS ACLAS, AND ENEMI
• INDIA'S GAY PRCE TO OPEN HIS PALACE TO LGBTQ PEOPLE IN NEED
• INDIA’S FIRST GAY PRCE: PRCE MANVENDRA SGH GOHILIN THE LAST , PRCE MANVENDRA SGH GOHIL GOT MARRIED, GOT DIVORCED, ME OUT OF THE CLOSET, AND TALKED TO OPRAH WEY—AND NOW, HE'S SPREADG AWARENS ABOUT A SPREADG HIV CRISIS INDIA.ROJA HEYDARPOURUPDATED JUL. 13, 2017 5:46PM EDT / PUBLISHED MAY 21, 2011 3:58AM EDT PRCE MANVENDRA SGH GOHIL PREPAR FOR AIDES GALA DNER ON NOVEMBER 27, 2010 PARIS, FRANCE. (PASL LE SEGRETA / AIDES & LK / GETTY IMAG)PRCE MANVENDRA SGH GOHIL, THE FIRST OPENLY GAY PRCE INDIA, TOOK TO A MAKHIFT STAGE A SWANKY INDIAN RTRANT NEW YORK LAST WEEK. CLUTCHG THE MICROPHONE WH TWO HANDS, HE ULD HARDLY BE HEARD OVER THE D OF GUTS ON THEIR FOURTH ROUND OF EE ABSOLUT.“AS WE SAY INDIA, NAMASTE,” HE SED.“YEEAAA! NAMAS-TAY,” SCREAMED A WOMAN, SWAYG OM SI TO SI. THE SOFT-SPOKEN PRCE OF RAIPLA TOOK ALL STRI, SEEMG TO ENJOY HIMSELF—AND EVEN VG EVERYONE THE ROOM TO HIS PK PALACE. “IT IS LIKE A STRAWBERRY SHORTKE WH ICG. AND YOU ARE ALL WELE. I MEAN . YOU N E SEE ROYALTY.” THE CROWD HAD GATHERED TO RAISE MONEY FOR THE PRCE’S CHARY, THE LAKSHYA TST, AN ANIZATN FOUND BY FIVE MEN RAL INDIA DITED TO RAISG AWARENS OF HIV/AIDS. THE DISEASE IS SPREADG QUICKLY INDIA—2.4 LN PEOPLE ARE LIVG WH HIV THERE, ACRDG TO THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATN. THE GUTS—MOSTLY INDIAN, GAY, OR GAY INDIANS—MGLED NERVOLY AT AS THE EVENG BEGAN. A PROTOL SHEET ON HOW TO TREAT A PRCE WAS PASSED AROUND.“ONE SHOULD WA FOR THE PRCE TO EXTEND HIS HAND, BEFORE YOU GO TO SHAKE .”“DO NOT TURN YOUR BACK ON HIM AS HE MOV ON.”BY THE END OF THE NIGHT, GUTS WERE JOKG EELY ABOUT HOW THEY WOULD TREAT THE PRCE.SEQUTERED A DIMLY L RNER THE BACK, THE PRCE SAW PEOPLE 10-MUTE TERVALS, EELY DISCSG HIS SEXUALY AND THE AIDS CRISIS INDIA.“I AM STILL SGLE AND NEED TO MGLE.”“IN INDIA, HIV HAS BEEN A BLSG DISGUISE,” HE SAID. “HIV GAVE A PLATFORM TO EMPOWER OURSELV. A LOT OF MY IENDS ARE GETTG FECTED.”GOHIL, 45, FIRST ME OUT TO HIS FAY 2002, AFTER A NERVO BREAKDOWN. HE ULDN’T HI HIS SEXUALY ANYMORE AT THAT POT. HE HAD BEEN MARRIED TO A WOMAN 1991, BUT ONLY A YEAR LATER, WHOUT EVER HAVG NSUMMATED THE MARRIAGE, HE GOT A DIVORCE. HE STILL LIV WH THE GUILT OF HURTG HIS WIFE. BY 2006, HE OFFICIALLY ME OUT WHEN HE GAVE AN TERVIEW TO A LOL PAPER. RELATNS WH HIS FAY BEME STRAED, AND HAVE YET TO BE FULLY REPAIRED. SCE THEN, HE HAS TAKEN HIS STORY ALL OVER THE WORLD, EVEN APPEARG ON OPRAH TWICE.BUT JT LAST WEEK, AS GOHIL ARRIVED NEW YORK TO RAISE AWARENS, AND DISCS HOW DIFFICULT AND TABOO HOMOSEXUALY IS INDIA, TWO AMERINS THE PUBLIC EYE ED A STIR WHEN THEY ME OUT. FIRST THERE WAS THE PRINT OF THE PHOENIX SUNS, WHO ME OUT AN TERVIEW WH THE NEW YORK TIM. THEN, DON LEMON, THE CNN ANCHOR, TOLD THE WORLD HE WAS GAY ON TWTER.THE PRCE DIDN’T SEEM TOO SURPRISED THAT HOMOSEXUALY WAS STILL SOMEWHAT OF AN ISSUE THE STAT. “RELIGN HAS PLAYED A ROLE MANY ISSU, AND ALSO HOMOSEXUALY, SO EVEN AMERI HASN’T BEEN SPARED OM THAT,” HE SAID. “I THK ’S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE KNOWN TO E OUT OF THE CLOSET.”THAT SAID, THE PRCE HAS A LONG WAY TO GO. BEG RAISED A SOCIETY—AND A FAY—WHERE HOMOSEXUALY WAS NOT EVEN AN OPTN SEEMS TO HAVE HAD S EFFECT ON HIM. NEARLY 10 YEARS AFTER G OUT TO HIS FAY, THE PRCE STILL DON’T HAVE A PARTNER. AND THE NIGHTLIFE ISN’T FOR HIM. “I’M NOT ED TO THE PARTY CULTURE BEE I E OM A ROYAL FAY.” HE VISED A GAY BAR WHILE AMERI, BUT DIDN’T EXACTLY BLEND . “I DON’T FEEL VERY FORTABLE THE GAY BARS,” HE SAID. “I AM ALWAYS FORMAL ATTIRE.”STILL, THE LIFE ISN’T PLETELY FOREIGN TO HIM. WHEN ASKED IF HE WAS STILL SGLE, HE SED ALMOST MISCHIEVOLY. “I AM STILL SGLE AND NEED TO MGLE.”ROJA HEYDARPOUR IS AN EDOR AT THE DAILY BEAST. SHE HAS REPORTED FOR THE THE NEW YORK TIM AND THE TIM-TRIBUNE. ROJA HEYDARPOUR
• THE WORLD’S ONLY OPENLY GAY PRCE INDIA OPENS PALACE TO LGBTQ COMMUNY
• WORLD'S FIRST OPENLY GAY PRCE OPENS HIS PALACE DOORS TO INDIAN LGBT COMMUNY
• THE WORLD'S FIRST OPENLY GAY PRCE FIGHTS FOR EQUAL RIGHTS INDIA
• GAY INDIAN PRCE THROWS OPEN PALACE DOORS TO VULNERABLE LGBT PEOPLE
• GAY INDIAN PRCE THROWS OPEN PALACE DOORS TO VULNERABLE LGBT PEOPLE
• GAY INDIAN PRCE THROWS OPEN PALACE DOORS TO VULNERABLE LGBT PEOPLE
• GAY INDIAN PRCE THROWS OPEN PALACE DOORS TO VULNERABLE LGBT PEOPLE
• PRI AND PREJUDICE: INDIAN ROYAL MANVENDRA SGH GOHIL ON BEG THE WORLD’S FIRST OPENLY GAY PRCE
• INDIA'S FIRST OPENLY GAY PRCE IS WORKG TO MAKE CONVERSN THERAPY ILLEGAL
• FIRST OPENLY GAY PRCE SPEAKS OUT ON MISSN TO END CONVERSN THERAPY: 'I HAVE TO KEEP FIGHTG'
• INDIA'S GAY PRCE OPENS HIS PALACE TO VULNERABLE LGBTQ PEOPLE
• INDIA'S GAY PRCE ON FOREONT OF UNTRY'S LGBTQ MOVEMENT
• INDIAN PRCE FIGHTS FOR GAY RIGHTS
• PRCE MANVENDRA, THE WORLD'S FIRST OPENLY GAY PRCE, FIGHTS FOR LGBT RIGHTS IN INDIA
• INDIA'S FIRST OPENLY GAY PRCE IS WORKG TO MAKE CONVERSN THERAPY ILLEGAL
• INDIA’S FIRST OPENLY GAY PRCE TRANSFORMS HIS PALACE INTO COMMUNY CENTRE FOR THE LGBTQ+

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

In 2006, Prce Manvendra Sgh Gohil me out to a lol newspaper, beg India's first openly gay prce. Prce Manvendra Sgh Gohil, the 39th direct scendant of India's Gohil Raut dynasty, knew he was gay at age 12. But he uld only live his tth three s publicly me out an terview to a lol newspaper 2006, beg the first openly gay royal the untry.

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

He was 41 at the 2018, homosexualy was illegal India, punishable unr Sectn 377, a lonial-era dranian law that mand up to life imprisonment for anyone mtg sexual acts "agast the orr of nature.

He turned the palace grounds he was once thrown out of to a shelter for the LGBTQ+ had expected the homophobic uproar.

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

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. "They thought was impossible that I uld be gay bee my cultural upbrgg had been so rich. 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.

INDIA’S FIRST GAY PRCE: PRCE MANVENDRA SGH GOHILIN THE LAST , PRCE MANVENDRA SGH GOHIL GOT MARRIED, GOT DIVORCED, ME OUT OF THE CLOSET, AND TALKED TO OPRAH WEY—AND NOW, HE'S SPREADG AWARENS ABOUT A SPREADG HIV CRISIS INDIA.ROJA HEYDARPOURUPDATED JUL. 13, 2017 5:46PM EDT / PUBLISHED MAY 21, 2011 3:58AM EDT PRCE MANVENDRA SGH GOHIL PREPAR FOR AIDES GALA DNER ON NOVEMBER 27, 2010 PARIS, FRANCE. (PASL LE SEGRETA / AIDES & LK / GETTY IMAG)PRCE MANVENDRA SGH GOHIL, THE FIRST OPENLY GAY PRCE INDIA, TOOK TO A MAKHIFT STAGE A SWANKY INDIAN RTRANT NEW YORK LAST WEEK. CLUTCHG THE MICROPHONE WH TWO HANDS, HE ULD HARDLY BE HEARD OVER THE D OF GUTS ON THEIR FOURTH ROUND OF EE ABSOLUT.“AS WE SAY INDIA, NAMASTE,” HE SED.“YEEAAA! NAMAS-TAY,” SCREAMED A WOMAN, SWAYG OM SI TO SI. THE SOFT-SPOKEN PRCE OF RAIPLA TOOK ALL STRI, SEEMG TO ENJOY HIMSELF—AND EVEN VG EVERYONE THE ROOM TO HIS PK PALACE. “IT IS LIKE A STRAWBERRY SHORTKE WH ICG. AND YOU ARE ALL WELE. I MEAN . YOU N E SEE ROYALTY.” THE CROWD HAD GATHERED TO RAISE MONEY FOR THE PRCE’S CHARY, THE LAKSHYA TST, AN ANIZATN FOUND BY FIVE MEN RAL INDIA DITED TO RAISG AWARENS OF HIV/AIDS. THE DISEASE IS SPREADG QUICKLY INDIA—2.4 LN PEOPLE ARE LIVG WH HIV THERE, ACRDG TO THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATN. THE GUTS—MOSTLY INDIAN, GAY, OR GAY INDIANS—MGLED NERVOLY AT AS THE EVENG BEGAN. A PROTOL SHEET ON HOW TO TREAT A PRCE WAS PASSED AROUND.“ONE SHOULD WA FOR THE PRCE TO EXTEND HIS HAND, BEFORE YOU GO TO SHAKE .”“DO NOT TURN YOUR BACK ON HIM AS HE MOV ON.”BY THE END OF THE NIGHT, GUTS WERE JOKG EELY ABOUT HOW THEY WOULD TREAT THE PRCE.SEQUTERED A DIMLY L RNER THE BACK, THE PRCE SAW PEOPLE 10-MUTE TERVALS, EELY DISCSG HIS SEXUALY AND THE AIDS CRISIS INDIA.“I AM STILL SGLE AND NEED TO MGLE.”“IN INDIA, HIV HAS BEEN A BLSG DISGUISE,” HE SAID. “HIV GAVE A PLATFORM TO EMPOWER OURSELV. A LOT OF MY IENDS ARE GETTG FECTED.”GOHIL, 45, FIRST ME OUT TO HIS FAY 2002, AFTER A NERVO BREAKDOWN. HE ULDN’T HI HIS SEXUALY ANYMORE AT THAT POT. HE HAD BEEN MARRIED TO A WOMAN 1991, BUT ONLY A YEAR LATER, WHOUT EVER HAVG NSUMMATED THE MARRIAGE, HE GOT A DIVORCE. HE STILL LIV WH THE GUILT OF HURTG HIS WIFE. BY 2006, HE OFFICIALLY ME OUT WHEN HE GAVE AN TERVIEW TO A LOL PAPER. RELATNS WH HIS FAY BEME STRAED, AND HAVE YET TO BE FULLY REPAIRED. SCE THEN, HE HAS TAKEN HIS STORY ALL OVER THE WORLD, EVEN APPEARG ON OPRAH TWICE.BUT JT LAST WEEK, AS GOHIL ARRIVED NEW YORK TO RAISE AWARENS, AND DISCS HOW DIFFICULT AND TABOO HOMOSEXUALY IS INDIA, TWO AMERINS THE PUBLIC EYE ED A STIR WHEN THEY ME OUT. FIRST THERE WAS THE PRINT OF THE PHOENIX SUNS, WHO ME OUT AN TERVIEW WH THE NEW YORK TIM. THEN, DON LEMON, THE CNN ANCHOR, TOLD THE WORLD HE WAS GAY ON TWTER.THE PRCE DIDN’T SEEM TOO SURPRISED THAT HOMOSEXUALY WAS STILL SOMEWHAT OF AN ISSUE THE STAT. “RELIGN HAS PLAYED A ROLE MANY ISSU, AND ALSO HOMOSEXUALY, SO EVEN AMERI HASN’T BEEN SPARED OM THAT,” HE SAID. “I THK ’S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE KNOWN TO E OUT OF THE CLOSET.”THAT SAID, THE PRCE HAS A LONG WAY TO GO. BEG RAISED A SOCIETY—AND A FAY—WHERE HOMOSEXUALY WAS NOT EVEN AN OPTN SEEMS TO HAVE HAD S EFFECT ON HIM. NEARLY 10 YEARS AFTER G OUT TO HIS FAY, THE PRCE STILL DON’T HAVE A PARTNER. AND THE NIGHTLIFE ISN’T FOR HIM. “I’M NOT ED TO THE PARTY CULTURE BEE I E OM A ROYAL FAY.” HE VISED A GAY BAR WHILE AMERI, BUT DIDN’T EXACTLY BLEND . “I DON’T FEEL VERY FORTABLE THE GAY BARS,” HE SAID. “I AM ALWAYS FORMAL ATTIRE.”STILL, THE LIFE ISN’T PLETELY FOREIGN TO HIM. WHEN ASKED IF HE WAS STILL SGLE, HE SED ALMOST MISCHIEVOLY. “I AM STILL SGLE AND NEED TO MGLE.”ROJA HEYDARPOUR IS AN EDOR AT THE DAILY BEAST. SHE HAS REPORTED FOR THE THE NEW YORK TIM AND THE TIM-TRIBUNE. ROJA HEYDARPOUR

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.

THE WORLD’S ONLY OPENLY GAY PRCE INDIA OPENS PALACE TO LGBTQ COMMUNY

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.

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

’”But every doctor his parents nsulted told them the same thg — homosexualy was not a disease or a mental disorr.

THE WORLD'S FIRST OPENLY GAY PRCE FIGHTS FOR EQUAL RIGHTS INDIA

” 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.

He told a Gujarati daily newspaper about his sexualy 2006, makg him the first openly gay morn monarch the world — but then his fay quickly disowned him.

GAY INDIAN PRCE THROWS OPEN PALACE DOORS TO VULNERABLE LGBT PEOPLE

Style was at the fore of the Prce’s life and he later published two books about fashn and terr sign: The Power Look 1978 and a follow-up, The Power Look at Home: Deratg for Men, Fürstenberg had a well-known fondns for gay nightlife.

Prce Manvendra Sgh Gohil, India's first openly gay prce, his fame and stat to raise awarens for HIV advocy and LGBTQ rights. India's only openly gay prce has announced plans to open up his anctral palace to Indians who have been ostracized for their sexualy or genr inty.

" Sce g out, Gohil has ma a name for himself as a gay rights advote, both India and ternatnally.

GAY INDIAN PRCE THROWS OPEN PALACE DOORS TO VULNERABLE LGBT PEOPLE

Prr to g out, Gohil created the Lakshya Tst, an anizatn focg on gay issu and sexual health Gujarat. (Pasl Le Segreta / AIDES & Lk / Getty Imag)Prce Manvendra Sgh Gohil, the first openly gay prce India, took to a makhift stage a swanky Indian rtrant New York last week. The guts—mostly Indian, gay, or gay Indians—mgled nervoly at as the eveng began.

Sce then, he has taken his story all over the world, even appearg on Oprah jt last week, as Gohil arrived New York to raise awarens, and discs how difficult and taboo homosexualy is India, two Amerins the public eye ed a stir when they me out. Then, Don Lemon, the CNN anchor, told the world he was gay on prce didn’t seem too surprised that homosexualy was still somewhat of an issue the Stat. “Relign has played a role many issu, and also homosexualy, so even Ameri hasn’t been spared om that, ” he said.

GAY INDIAN PRCE THROWS OPEN PALACE DOORS TO VULNERABLE LGBT PEOPLE

Beg raised a society—and a fay—where homosexualy was not even an optn seems to have had s effect on him.

” He vised a gay bar while Ameri, but didn’t exactly blend .

GAY INDIAN PRCE THROWS OPEN PALACE DOORS TO VULNERABLE LGBT PEOPLE

“I don’t feel very fortable the gay bars, ” he said.

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

In India, a untry where homosexualy is still wily stigmatized, an openly gay prce is takg some necsary steps for signifint change the LGBTQ muny.

Earlier this week, Indian Prce Manvendra Sgh Gohil, 52, announced that he is openg his palace doors to lbians, gays, transgenrs and other Indians who have been largely shunned by society.

INDIA'S FIRST OPENLY GAY PRCE IS WORKG TO MAKE CONVERSN THERAPY ILLEGAL

Some gay upl, who have have been threatened wh honor killgs by their own relativ, were forced to migrate to other untri. In fact, the 52-year-old prce was heavily cricized when he me out as gay a ago, wh his own mother publicly disowng him via a newspaper advertisement.

Gohil had earlier set up the Lakshya Tst, a chary for LGBTQ people, immediately beg a champn for gay rights the nservative state. 5 thgs to know about Prce Manvendra, India’s first openly gay royal. His mother publicly disowned him by placg an advert the lol paper, and took almost a for them to rencile, a natn where LGBTQ+ activists only recently prevailed havg gay sex crimalised Published: 4:00pm, 10 Mar, 2020 Updated: 4:00pm, 10 Mar, 2020 Manvendra Sgh Gohil (left) and De DeAndre Richardson, photographed durg the Hong Kong Pri Para 2018, at Victoria Park, Cseway Bay.

Prce Manvendra of India is the world's first openly gay prce.

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

Prce Manvendra Sgh Gohil — believed to be the world’s first openly gay royal — is dog his part to help India’s margalized LGBT muny.

INDIA'S GAY PRCE OPENS HIS PALACE TO VULNERABLE LGBTQ PEOPLE

The Indian prce, 52, has opened his 15-acre palace grounds as a sanctuary for gay people unr prsure a natn where same-sex acts n rult 10-year prison sentenc. “I happen to be the world’s first openly gay prce. Prce Manvendra had stepped out of the closet and to a firtorm of ntroversy when he announced to the world he was gay.

At that time, India had revoked the law that ma homosexual acts punishable by 10 years to life prison.

INDIA'S GAY PRCE ON FOREONT OF UNTRY'S LGBTQ MOVEMENT

In recent years, however, Prce Manvendra says the gay rights movement India has faced many challeng.

In 2014, Prce Manvendra lnched Free Gay India, a grassroots mpaign to raise awarens about India's anti-gay laws. "When I say that the homosexuals are not ee India, we don't have the eedom to love, " he says. MUMBAI (Thomson Rters Foundatn) - The only openly gay prce India - where same sex relatns are illegal - is throwg open his palace doors to lbians, gays, transgenr and other Indians shunned for their Manvendra Sgh Gohil, India's only openly gay prce, is throwg open his palace to vulnerable people of the LGBT muny his home state of Gujarat, India.

INDIAN PRCE FIGHTS FOR GAY RIGHTS

They often have nowhere to go, no means to support themselv, ” he told the Thomson Rters the prce, 52, is buildg a center for lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr people (LGBT) on the grounds of his anctral palace. Erstwhile royalty India are still the spotlight, many holdg posns the g out, Gohil set up the Lakshya Tst, a chary for LGBT people his nservative home state, and beme a champn for gay rights. But may also mean more people need of support, ” Gohil said he is renovatg and extendg his palace, built 1927, on the 15-acre se, stallg solar panels for power, and rervg some land for anic onle crowdfundg mpaign and donatns are fancg the center, which will be managed by his chary, he ’s high profile has helped the LGBT muny India enormoly, said Harish Iyer, a gay rights activist who hosts a rad show dited to LGBT issu.

Speakg exclively to Tatler om Rajvant Palace, his fay’s grand rince Gujarat, wtern India, the 55-year-old prce rells how havg a breakdown the early 2000s set him on a path that led to his beg crowned one of the untry’s leadg LGBTQ+ rights activists and hailed by many as the only openly gay prce the 2002, Prce Manvendra was certa he was gay, havg been attracted to men for years. ‘My mother and father mand I have surgery or shock therapy to be cured, ’ he prce was hled off to a seri of doctors and spirual guis, all of whom told his parents no uncerta terms that their son’s homosexualy was neher a disorr nor a mental illns that uld be expunged.

’Unterred, however, the Maharana and Maharani of Raipla tried to keep their son’s homosexualy unr wraps – was then illegal India – but 2006, the prce me out to a newspaper. So they sent him off to the doctor, as they would years later when he told them he was gay.

PRCE MANVENDRA, THE WORLD'S FIRST OPENLY GAY PRCE, FIGHTS FOR LGBT RIGHTS IN INDIA

When Prce Manvendra was married, homosexualy was a crimal offence.

INDIA'S FIRST OPENLY GAY PRCE IS WORKG TO MAKE CONVERSN THERAPY ILLEGAL

‘In India, homo-social behavur is very accepted, ’ he says. ‘On the one hand, they tell you beg gay is wrong. Not bee I was gay – they said was bee I spoke the tth.

INDIA’S FIRST OPENLY GAY PRCE TRANSFORMS HIS PALACE INTO COMMUNY CENTRE FOR THE LGBTQ+

Many don’t agree wh the Supreme Court’s cisn, ’ he says, referrg to the 2018 legalisatn of homosexualy. Homophobia and hypocrisy mt be cimated.