India's Gay Prince Shines Light on Gay Rights in India

From the outside, Crown Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil led a privileged life. Born into the royal family of the former princely state of Rajpipla in India, he was married to a princess, Yuvrani Chandrika Kumari, and held court from a lavish palace. But Gohil had a secret – one that only came to light after a 15 month-long sexless marriage, subsequent divorce, and nervous breakdown, for which he was hospitalised in 2002. It was then that Gohil’s doctors, with his consent, told his family that he was gay – a rather complicated development in a country where section 377 of the penal code criminalised homosexuality. India’s homophobia seems, at the very least, hypocritical. After all, it’s the birthplace of the Kama Sutra, and many of its famed temples feature graphic murals and sculptures depicting same-sex interactions. Indian mythology also includes homosexual gods and goddesses. But religion, as always, was the watershed. With the advent of Muslim rule, and then Christianity, came an open and harsh rejection of homosexuality, a mindset that pervades the country to this day. Full Story from SX News: http://sxnews.e-p.net.au/feature/the-rebel-prince-6350.html

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