Who is the First Gay Prince in the World? Manvendra Singh Gohil

Society doesn’t toughen us up. It wears us down. So it’s not that we are strong, we are just too tired sometimes to fight the battle. Contrary to the popular belief, we hardly worry about life. We worry that denial will become a way of life. We worry that we won’t be kind anymore. We worry that we’d find ourselves guilty someday of the sin we never committed- Sahil Girish.

In a world where societal labels and institutions are considered the prime duty of a man, a Rajput Prince named Manvendra Singh Gohil broke all accords to follow the path of Truth… His Truth. After a treacherous 41 years in the closet, the Prince publicly admitted to being gay, making him the first openly gay prince in the world.

Who is Manvendra Singh Gohil?

Prince Gohil was the son of Maharana Shri Raghubir Singhji Rajendrasinghji Sahib and his wife, Maharani Rukmini Devi. They ruled over the Kingdom of Nandipuri which today is known as the city of Rajpipla in Gujrat, India.

When the government of India de-recognized the titles of the royal Princes in 1971, the royal family converted their Palace into a tourist resort which continues to be the same till this day. Born on 23^rd September 1965, in Ajmer, Maharana Gohil studied law in Mumbai.

The royal family moved to their second residence in Mumbai, a 7 bedroom mansion, where the Prince spent most of his childhood. He would rarely see his parents and was brought up by a nanny, whom he thought was his mother until reality struck him at 10 years old.

Besides being neglected by his parents, the Prince spent a lonely childhood in the city of dreams. He was strictly told to socialise from similar family backgrounds due to which he would never be able to invite any friends over to his home. He considered the birds and animals he rescued as his friends and spent his time with the house servants.

Story of the Openly Gay Prince of India

As a part of his royal duty, a naïve Prince Gohil voluntarily got married to Chandrika Kumari, a princess of the royal family of Jhabua in 1991. He was oblivious about his sexuality at that point of his life and although aware about having an attraction towards men, he ignored it since he thought it was a passing phase.

15 months after tying the knot, the couple, who were good friends, called it quits causing mayhem in the state of Gujrat. Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil was confused and suffered from gender dysphoria. He moved back to Mumbai to figure his sexuality out by educating himself.

It began with a gay magazine, Bombay Dost by Ashok Row Kavi. The Prince got in contact with Kavi who helped him figure out his true self. Kavi was a popular name in the country for leading the gay rights movement in India. He came out of the closet in 1977 and since then has actively participated for the welfare of the queer community.

Discovering His Identity

Ashok Kavi worked tirelessly and in 1994 formed the renowned Humsafar Trust, the first organisation in India to provide welfare/ health services for gay men. Under the guidance of Kavi, Prince Gohil began to associate himself with the queer community and was gradually becoming comfortable with his identity.

Following the footsteps Kavi, in the year 2000, Manvendra Gohil started the Lakshya Trust to help the queer community in Gujrat. He was yet in the closet during this time but strived to do his best for his Trust.

In 2002, the Prince had a breakdown about the irony of his situation. He was advocating for gay rights while he himself was a closeted gay man. Upon the counselling of his psychiatrist, he finally came out to his parents who were in aghast and complete denial.

Coming Out of the Closet: The Prince who is a Queen

The Prince was advised by Ashok Kavi to completely corporate with his parents while they went berserk. They thought that science, surgery or shock therapy could cure him from the ‘disease’. They consulted various doctors who tried to convince them that homosexuality was not a ‘disease’ and does not have a cure.

His parents then resorted to all sorts of religion and religious leaders for three long years until the Prince had had enough. The royal family began to face financial consequences as the rumours of a gay prince spread around the country. They were removed from several businesses and his mother was so upset that she threatened her son to cancel the funding of Lakshya Trust.

With everything against the gay prince, he reached his point of saturation and gave in to his truth. In a viral and honest interview, Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil declared his pride in belonging to the queer community.

On 14 March, 2006, the Prince’s “coming out” story was published in Divya Bhaskar, a gujrati newspaper and later made headlines in several other newspapers. This news caused unrest in Gujrat. His effigies were burnt, family questioned and his mother publicly abandoned her son. She threatened to sue those who called him her son.

Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil Today

The news became a national topic of discussion and further, a global revelation. The first gay prince of the world had openly admitted to his sexuality. He received offers from several shows including one of his most infamous interviews at the Oprah Winfrey Show and with Kris Jenner on Keeping up with the Kardashians.

In July 2013, the Prince found love and got married to Cecil DeAndre Richardson, a cosmetics employee living in Seattle. The two have since then advocated for the queer community, their most recent venture being an ongoing project, a shelter for the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A community.  

The purpose of the shelter in Gujrat is to serve as a safe space for those who have been disowned by their families. It helps them in learning job skills to earn a basic living and get back on their feet. Kudos to the Prince and the Duke for introducing true Pride to the world.

An ode to the queer community:

“Some people are born multiple times in one lifetime, yet they don’t learn how to die. But when they do, more often than not these deaths are a reminder that they are a burden if they’re not welcome. And yet they linger in memories of people who are rejects just like them. Uninvited and unseen, these people hold hands when it’s dark, create when it’s a sin and forget when it’s necessary.

So they get used to being conjunctions, always an addition or an option, but never a noun, a definition or a choice. Maybe someday they’ll write a memoir, but it will be just about things and people they weren’t allowed to love”- Sahil Girish

 

Written by Jerusha Patel