India’s first openly gay prince vows to “keeping fighting” for ‘conversation therapy’ ban
Royal prince Manvendra Singh Gohil is fighting for a more accepting future for the LGBTQ+ community in India. Gohil made history after coming out as gay in 2006, aged 41, and received imminent backlash for his decision, largely due to country-wide cultural values and his position in society.
The prince, who is the 39th direct descendant of India’s Gohil Rajput dynasty, has since dedicated his time to supporting LGBTQ+ causes and education. “The day I came out, my effigies were burnt.
There were a lot of protests, people took to the streets and shouted slogans saying that I brought shame and humiliation to the royal family and to the culture of India,” Gohil said speaking to Insider. “There were death threats and demands that I be stripped off of my title.” However, the prince does not directly blame anyone, but the “ignorance” surrounding the understanding of LGBTQ+ people and “subjects”.
Homosexuality has been deemed illegal in India, under the colonial-era law Section 377, up until 2018. The dated law could issue up to a lifetime in prison for sexual acts “against the order of nature.” Gohil has faced an onslaught of homophobic attitudes and was rejected by his parents, Maharaja and Maharani of Rajpipla, as the public turned against him.
