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NDTV
a day ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Exclusive: World's First Gay Prince, Manvendra Singh Gohil Says His First Appearance On The Oprah Winfrey Show"Changed Mindsets"
For the world's first openly gay prince, Manvendra Singh Gohil, coming out was a life-changing experience. The erstwhile prince of Rajpipla, Gujarat spoke to NDTV in an exclusive interview during the Pride Month. Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil says, "For me, Pride (Month) is a moment of celebration. Pride (Month) is for people to know that we exist in the society and that we have the right to live with equality, dignity and respect, without being subjected to stigma and discrimination." Appearing On Oprah Winfrey's Changed People's Perspectives He first appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, a popular American talk show, in 2007 where he spoke of the importance of recognising LGBTQ+ rights. Recalling about his experience on the show, Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil told NDTV, "Her presence and her being a strong ally made a lot of difference. It changed people's mindsets. It made people realise that my fight is not just an ordinary fight." Coming out was difficult, and it was even more challenging for the prince as a royal. It meant defying not only social norms, but also the expectations of a lineage steeped in tradition. "Even though now we live in a democratic republic, still we are the custodians of this rich cultural heritage," he reflects. "Coming out meant risking respect, facing humiliation, and walking into a homophobic world. That's why so few royals speak openly about their sexuality," he continues. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil (@princemanvendragohil) Creating Allies Is Important Allies are individuals who are not part of the LGBTQ+ community. They are people who are willing to not only accept, but also openly support and advocate for rights of the community, explains the prince. "A lot of things changed after my appearance on the Oprah show and not just that but getting other attention from other parts of the world, getting invited to attend other events, meeting influential people, and that brought about a lot of change globally." "Whether they are from the political parties, government officials, educational institutions, the medical department, or even parents or students. We need to create allies and increase the allies. I believe it will help us mainstream our issues in the society," he adds. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil (@princemanvendragohil) Self-Acceptance Is Key Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil's message for the young members of the LGBTQ+ community is rooted in personal growth and self-love. "Accept yourself. Self-acceptance is most important. Lack of self-acceptance can lead to internalised phobia and a lot of homophobia." Emphasising the message, he says, schools should have counselors and be more sensitive toward the queer community. If he had an opportunity to revisit his childhood, Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil says he would tell his younger self to be more loving and kind towards himself. "Just accept yourself and love yourself," he says.
Time of India
2 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community shouldn't be limited to just the Pride Month: Manvendra Singh Gohil
Manvendra Singh Gohil Recently, prominent LGBTQIA+ rights activist Manvendra Singh Gohil posted a video on Instagram, highlighting how the community continues to face several challenges. While we celebrate Pride Month, Manvendra shares, 'Unfortunately, the LGBTQIA+ community in India continues to face stigma, discrimination and violation of human rights. It has been more than five decades since the LGBTQ+ movement began (in 1969), but this is the sad reality. Even now, many are forced to live in the closet because they fear they would be thrown out of the house otherwise. They also face sexual harassment.' He adds, 'Celebrating the community shouldn't be limited to just Pride Month. I get invited as a speaker by a lot of corporates in June and I tell them that most of their events are just eyewash. Most corporates organise Pride Month events but once June is over, they don't seem to remember us. Unless corporates provide more job opportunities for the community and ensure that there is no discrimination at the workplace, such celebrations are pointless. ' 'There is very little awareness about our rights' Manvendra says one of the biggest challenges is that 'there is very little awareness about our rights.' He elaborates, 'There have been landmark judgments and moments in our fight for equality, like the scrapping of Section 377 (in 2018), the NALSA judgment in 2014 (it recognised a third gender and guaranteed equal rights to the transgender community), and the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act that was passed in 2019. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Düsseldorf: GEERS sucht 700 Testhörer für Hörgeräte ohne Zuzahlung GEERS Undo But the implementation and dissemination still remain a challenge. There is a lot of misinformation among the general public because awareness about the laws or rights of the LGBTQIA+ community is limited to just law schools and law colleges. To cite an example, a lot of people believe that the scrapping of Section 377 means that same-sex marriage has been legalised in India, which isn't the case. We need to spread more awareness.' 'We will continue our fight for justice' While Manvendra is disappointed that same-sex marriages haven't been legalised in India, he says, 'We will continue our fight for justice. The Supreme Court has said that the onus is on our Parliament now and we need to reach out to people at the grassroots and raise awareness about our issues. Even the scrapping of Section 377 took about 20 years, so we should continue our fight and I am sure that we will get justice one day. Even if we don't get to see that day, our next generation will.' He adds, 'Recently, the Madras High Court ruled that LGBTQ+ individuals can form a family, which is encouraging. There have been some positive developments. For instance, same-sex couples can now open a joint bank account and have nominees. So, there is some progress, although it is slower than what we would like.' 'Pride Month events are important to create more allies' Homosexuality is deeply rooted in our heritage, as queerness and same-sex love have existed in Indian culture for centuries. The British imposed colonial laws criminalizing our identities and apart from celebrating our identity, Pride is also a reclamation-who we are and who we will be in future. Pride Month events, which include pride walks, are important because they ensure visibility and help create more allies. 'Our marriage is more successful than a lot of heterosexual couples' Manvendra got married to Duke DeAndre Richardson in 2013 in the US and recently, they co-authored a book about completing a decade of marriage and activism. Looking back at the journey, Manvendra says, 'It has been a fabulous journey. Currently, we are in the US to promote the book and we are also attending a few Pride Month events, where we are being felicitated. I believe our marriage is more successful than a lot of heterosexual couples. ' Talking about their dream project, India's first LGBTQA centre at Hanumanteshwar, he adds, 'We are adding more facilities there and the space is open to allies also.' One step to a healthier you—join Times Health+ Yoga and feel the change
