India's first openly gay prince has an important message about homosexuality
Manvendra Singh Gohli is famous for being the first gay Indian prince to come out publicly. In a new video made by online LGBT rights platform Come Out Loud, Singh candidly speaks about gay rights and the challenges of coming out.
Singh, who was the crown prince of the royal family of Rajpipla, was disowned and disinherited by his parents after he came out in 2006, a decision he attributes to pressures from the conservative social environment they lived in. Yet, the declaration also brought him international fame, with Singh appearing on BBC and The Oprah Winfrey Show to speak about his identity.
In 2000, he started an organisation called The Lakshya Trust to work towards the prevention of HIV amongst gay men and now actively campaigns for the decriminalization of homosexuality in India.
“We’re all human beings. We should be treated equally and be given the rights which we have been denied,” Singh says at the end of the video. “All we expect from the society is love. Gay rights cannot just be won in the courtroom, but also in the hearts and minds of the people we live with.”
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
