India's Gay Prince Opens His Palace To Vulnerable LGBTQ People
Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil says he'll offer rooms, a medical facility and job assistance.
Rina Chandran
LOADINGERROR LOADING
MUMBAI(ThomsonReuters Foundation) - The only openly gay prince in India - where same sex relations are illegal - is throwing open his palace doors to lesbians, gays, transgender and other Indians shunned for their sexuality.
Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil, heir apparent to the throne of Rajpipla in western Gujarat state, said it was particularly hard to come out in small-town India, where traditional values hold sway and heterosexual relations are the norm.
Advertisement
“People still face a lot of pressure from their families when they come out, being forced to marry, or thrown out of their homes. They often have nowhere to go, no means to support themselves,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
So the prince, 52, is building a center for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people (LGBT) on the grounds of his ancestral palace.
“I am not going to have children, so I thought, why not use this space for a good purpose?” Gohil said, adding that he will offer rooms, a medical facility and training in English and vocational skills to help people find jobs.
Advertisement
Gohil came out to his family more than a decade ago, prompting his mother to take out a newspaper advertisement disowning him. Erstwhile royalty in India are still in the spotlight, many holding positions in the government.
After coming out, Gohil set up the Lakshya Trust, a charity for LGBT people in his conservative home state, and became a champion for gay rights. He has made numerous international appearances, including on The Oprah Winfrey Show.
He is a vocal critic of India’s colonial-era law that criminalize consensual sexual relations between same sex adults. Earlier this week, the country’s top court said it would reconsider its 2013 decision to uphold the law.
“Lifting the law will encourage more people to come out and live their lives freely. But it may also mean more people in need of support,” Gohil said.
Gohil said he is renovating and extending his palace, built in 1927, on the 15-acre site, installing solar panels for power, and reserving some land for organic farming.
Advertisement
An online crowdfunding campaign and donations are financing the center, which will be managed by his charity, he said.
Gohil’s high profile has helped the LGBT community in India enormously, said Harish Iyer, a gay rights activist who hosts a radio show dedicated to LGBT issues.
“For him to be one of us, the stakes are even higher, so providing this space is a great gesture,” he said.
“We are lucky to have many LGBT-friendly spaces in cities like Mumbai and Delhi. But in smaller towns, there are not so many places, and that is where they are most needed.”
Advertisement
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.