Manvendra Singh Gohil is an Indian prince and heir presumptive to the Rajpipla throne of the former princely state of Gujarat. He is the first prince in the world to speak openly as gay and one of India’s leading LGBTQ+ activists.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Manvendra Singh Gohil was born on Thursday, 23 September 1965 (Age 58 years; by 2023) in Ajmer, Rajasthan, India. His zodiac sign is Libra. He completed his education from Bombay Scottish School and Amritben Jeevanlal College of Commerce and Economics, Mumbai.
Physical Appearance
Height(approx): 6′ 1″
Weight(Approx): 65 kg
Hair Color: Black
Eye colour: Black
Family
Manvendra Singh Gohil belongs to Gohil Rajput clan.
parents and siblings
Manvendra Singh Gohil’s father, Raghubir Singhji Rajendrasinhji Sahab, is the Honorary Maharaja of Rajpipla. His mother, Rukmini Devi, is the Honorary Maharani of Rajpipla. She has a younger sister, Meenaxi Kumari Sahiba, Honorary Maharajkumari of Rajpipla, who is married to Kunwar Digvijay Chand of Chenani Jagir.
Gohil with his parents and his younger sister
wife/partner
In January 1991, Prince Shri Manvendra Raghubir Singh Ji Saheb got married to Princess Chandrika Kumari, daughter of Maharaj Gajendrapal Singh Ji of Jhabua. However, both of them got divorced within a year of marriage. In an open letter, Yuvrani Chandrika Kumari confirmed that her marriage remained incomplete and said,
I am returning in the same state in which I came.”
On July 3, 2013, she married DeAndre Richardson, a celebrity makeup artist in the US, who later became the Duke of Hanumanteshwar. DeAndre Richardson is thirteen years younger than Manvendra Singh Gohil.
Manvendra Singh Gohil with DeAndre Richardson
sexual orientation
Manvendra was first married at the age of 25, but his relationship with his wife did not work out as he never felt attracted towards her. He then moved to Bombay and met Ashok Row Kavi, a gay activist, who helped him realize his true sexual orientation. Referring to his friendship with Ashok, Gohil said in an interview,
Ashoka gave me valuable advice, and through my friendship with him I was able to accept that much of what I had done in my life was called ‘homosexuality’! This connection with him made me realize that I was a gay man. So, I essentially came out of my own when I was in my 30s.
Ashok Ro
In 2002, Manvendra suffered a nervous breakdown, which led to his parents becoming aware of his sexuality after hearing from Manvendra’s psychiatrists. His parents tried to keep it a secret from society and forced him to undergo conversion treatments. Referring to the difficulties he faced in an interview, he said,
I felt humiliated when my parents went to doctors in the hope that they could do brain surgery and electroshock therapy to straighten me out. This was a complete case of discrimination and violation of human rights. Whether I am a prince or not, parents have no right to torture their children like this.
However, his parents were unsuccessful because doctors in America refused to perform the operation and mentioned that homosexuality is not a mental disorder. In 2006, he came out openly as gay, for which he made headlines for a week. Later, his parents published an advertisement in the newspaper about rejecting him as their son, accusing him of insulting the royal family. Later, the prince reconciled with his family.
Prince Manvendra with fellow human rights campaigner, Prince Kanwar Amar Jeet Singh
relationships/affairs
In 2009, DeAndre contacted Manvendra online because he was fascinated by photographs of Manvendra in traditional Indian attire that he had encountered while working with a fashion brand. Before contacting Manvendra, DeAndre had no idea that he belonged to a royal family. At that time, Andre was already married to an American and Manvendra was also in a relationship. They met for the first time in 2011 and became a deep friendship. However, in 2012, Andre divorced her husband and Manvendra separated from his partner. In an interview, Prince mentioned that whenever he was asked about his relationship with DeAndre he would avoid the conversation and said,
I kept it a secret and told him that he was my advisor, guide and spiritual advisor.
In 2012, DeAndre proposed Manvendra and the two got married in 2013.
Manvendra Singh Gohil with his partner
Religion
Manvendra Singh Gohil follows Hindu religion.
Manvendra Singh Gohil performing religious rituals like the royal family
Awards and Honors
- Manvendra Singh Gohil was invited by Co-Chair Matthew Devlen to the International Arcadia Chapter of the Great Order of the Amarant in Stockholm and their biennial Amarant Ball, where they recognize and reward people who have made notable contributions to society. On 7 May 2022, she was presented with a sash with medals attached in recognition of her contribution towards the LGBTQIA+ community and their rights.
Gohil honored by Swedish royal family
- In 2014, he was honored at the GMCLA Voice Awards for his courageous work in living openly as a gay man and founding the Target Trust.
- On June 11, 2016, he was awarded the Humanitarian Award at Emerson College Los Angeles (ELA).
- On 28 May 2017, she was awarded the ‘Rainbow Warrior Award’ at the 8th edition of KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival.
Manvendra Singh Gohil honored with Rainbow Warrior Award
- In December 2021, she was honored with the Leader of the Decade award by the Women’s Economic Forum.
Manvendra Singh Gohil was honored by the Women’s Economic Forum.
Favorite
- Gay Movement: Bizarre Freedom Mumbai Pride
Facts/General Knowledge
- Manvendra Singh Gohil is the 39th direct descendant of the 650-year-old royal dynasty, which was founded in 1370 AD.
- He did not have many friends in his childhood, as it was against royal protocol to mix with other commoners. She saw little of her mother during her childhood and was cared for by a governess. At the age of 10, he realized that the woman who raised him was just an employee, not his real mother.
- Manvendra Singh Gohil is left-handed, due to which he struggled to perform the royal family’s religious rituals, which were modeled after right-handed people. His parents consulted a doctor and asked for ways to make him a right-handed person.
- According to him, hiding his sexuality for a long time caused him to have suicidal thoughts.
- He was surprised to see that the older generation was more accepting of him. His grandmother told him on her death bed that she was happy for him. His 97-year-old secretary and 91-year-old former teacher asked to march with him in the pride parade.
Prince Manvendra in pride parade
- According to her, it was only after she married DeAndre Richardson that she began interacting with her father more in a less formal environment. Since her husband did not come from royal lineage, she adopted some of his habits and abandoned some of the protocols followed by the royal family.
- In 2018, Manvendra Singh Gohil and her husband DeAndre Richardson set up India’s first resource center for the LGBTQ community at the royal estate in Hanumanteshwar. The property is situated on the banks of river Narmada. During the British period, it hosted various high-level dignitaries such as the Viceroy of India. The center was developed by Target Trust and designed by DeAndre Richardson. It provides a roof to those who have been rejected by their families for being gay and aims to make them economically independent by providing skills in various fields. It is also open to allies of the LGBTQ community who support the community and their rights.
- On October 24, 2007, he appeared as a guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show, and was one of three individuals featured on the show titled ‘Gay Around the World’, where he spoke about the difficulties he faced in coming out to the world. I spoke. About his sexuality and how he risked his freedom because homosexual acts were punishable under the law at the time. Later, he appeared in the show again in 2014 and 2017.
Manvendra Singh Gohil on The Oprah Winfrey Show
- In January 2008, he announced that he would adopt a child from his extended family as his successor.
- In July 2008, he opened the Euro Pride gay festival in Stockholm, Sweden.
- In 2009, he appeared in a BBC documentary series titled ‘Undercover Princess’, which covered his journey to find love in Brighton, UK.
- He is the editor of the gay male-focused magazine Fun, which has been published in Rajpipla since July 2010.
- In 2017, he appeared on the reality show Keeping Up with the Kardashians, where he talked about the consequences he faced after coming out as gay.
- In January 2021, rumors of Gohil joining BJP were spread. He later clarified that he had met Dr Vijay Shah only to congratulate him on becoming the president of BJP’s Vadodara unit as he runs a sanctuary for queer people in Gujarat.
- He is a founding member of the Asia Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health and an ambassador advisor to the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.
- He enjoys organic farming and selling vermicompost.
- She was featured in a cookery show called Royal Recipes, which aired on the TV channel ‘Epic’.
Manvendra Singh Gohil watching his show
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn