Manvendra Singh Gohil of Rajpipla is known to be India's first openly homosexual prince. Born in 1965 into a royal family in Gujarat, he grew up in a conservative environment where traditional values and expectations were deeply ingrained. Growing up, he struggled with understanding and accepting his sexual orientation, which was at odds with societal norms. In 1991, he was married to Princess Chandrika Kumari of Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh, but they got divorced within a year. By 2002, Prince Manvendra knew he was gay and he publicly opened up about his sexuality in 2006.
Prince Manvendra's announcement about his sexual identity caused much media sensation worldwide. Getting accepted by his own family continued to be a challenge. He once revealed in an interview with Sky News that his parents tried to make him undergo conversion therapy, brain surgery, and electric shock therapy to "cure" him.
Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil On Being Gay
When Prince Manvendra became the first Indian prince to open up about his homosexual identity, it caused a significant uproar and a wide range of reactions across India and beyond. Protests erupted, his effigies were burned, and there were death threats. His parents planned to receive conversion "treatment" for him in the United States.
The American Psychiatric Association pointed out that homosexuality wasn’t a mental disorder, so Prince Manvendra escaped from being subjected to such acts. However, his parents disowned him and warned anyone against calling him their son. "Whether I’m a prince or not, parents don't have the right to put their children into such torture," he said.
Despite facing severe backlash and suicidal thoughts, Prince Manvendra persevered. In 2013, he got married to an American man named Cecil "DeAndre" Richardson, a Macy's cosmetics employee from Seattle. Today, he has reconciled with his family and is recognised worldwide for his advocacy efforts for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Prince Manvendra is the founder of Lakysha Trust, an LGBTQIA+ charity based in Gujarat. He also promotes queer-friendly tourism through his royal establishment, Queer Bagh. He also became the editor of the gay men's magazine, Fun. He also brings recognition to issues like conversion therapy and discrimination towards homosexuals.
Prince Manvendra played a key role in the decriminalization of homosexuality in India. In 2018, when Section 377 was struck down, he expressed, "This judgement has given us the freedom to love somebody without being treated as criminals." He continues to create safe spaces for the LGBTQ+ community and promotes equality worldwide.
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