Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil, India’s first openly gay royal, is defying traditions yet again. Gohil is now launching a charity to help people of the LGBT community, the International Business Times reported.
Singh is defying his parents, who publicly disowned him in 2006, and is opening his 15-acre palace grounds to LGBT people and their allies.
The center will be run in conjunction to Gohil’s charity, Lakshya Trust. The Trust is a community based organization that addresses and advocates the “social, economical, legal, psychological, spiritual, and health aspects of sexual minorities…in the western India state of Gujarat,” according to its website.
Crown Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil is defying his parents, who disowned him after he came out publicly over a decade ago, His Royal Highness has opened his 15-acre palace grounds to #LGBT people and their allies with The #LakshyaTrust pic.twitter.com/nj3psnJKuX
— Christian Onassis™ (@COnassis) January 8, 2018
“The fight for our rights cannot only be won in the courtrooms of our nations, but in the hearts and minds of our people,” the website states.
The prince is building more structures to accommodate more guests.
This is a big step for India, especially since it is still illegal for people of the same gender to be involved in sexual activities. Last year, India’s Supreme Court issued a ruling allowing LGBT people to express their sexuality without discrimination.
“I want to give people social and financial empowerment so eventually people who want to come out won’t be affected,” Gohil said. “They will have their own social security system. It won’t make a difference if they are disinherited.”
Gohil demands that Section 377 of the Indian penal code, which criminalizes homosexual activities, is revoked.
“It has no logic,” Gohil said. “Gay rights are human rights. We won’t win this fight if I corner myself to a national level. This has to be global.”