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India's first openly gay prince vows to continue his fight against conversion therapy

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India's Royal Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil.

Conversion therapy has been a hot topic for a while now with the LGBTQ+ community calling out the harm it has caused. Twenty states and more than 100 municipalities have banned conversion therapy in the United States, but no nationwide ban has happened as of yet. In India, conversion therapy is still an accepted form of therapy, and though there is evidence that it exacerbates symptoms of depression, shame, addiction, self harm and suicidal tenancies, being gay was outlawed in the country until 2018, and conversion therapy is considered treatment.

Royal Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil, India’s first openly gay prince, is continuing his fight to ban conversion therapy in India. In 2006, the prince made history at the age of 41 by coming out as gay. The decision to come out was immediately condemned due to his position and the fact that India had recently disregarded its outdated law, which used to be punishable by a lifetime in prison. Singh Gohil told Insider that people burned him in effigy. “The day I came out, my effigies were burnt. There were a lot of protests, people took to the streets and shouted slogans saying that I brought shame and humiliation to the royal family and to the culture of India,” he said. “There were death threats and demands that I be stripped of of my title.”

The prince is the 39th direct descendent of the Gohil Rajput dynasty and dedicates his time to supporting LGBTQ+ causes and providing education around LGBTQ+ issues. He blames ignorance around LGBTQ+ people for the way others reacted when he came out as gay. Despite homophobic attitudes and being rejected by his parents, the prince continues to advocate for the queer community in India.

In fact, Singh Gohil is so dedicated to pushing forward education and protection of the LGBTQ+ community that in 2018 he opened up his 15-acre palace grounds to become an LGBTQ+ center. He also launched Lakshya Trust 20 years ago, which is a community-led charity that focuses on education around sexual tolerance, gender equity, HIV/AIDS and the LGBTQ+ community. Some may find it surprising that a prince in a country where homosexuality was banned until recently would be such a fierce advocate for queer rights. To Singh Gohil, this has been a long battle starting years before he came out publicly.

The prince revealed to Insider that he was once subjected to conversion therapy due to his family’s dismissal of the idea that he could be homosexual. He said, “They approached doctors to operate on my brain to make me straight and subjected me to electroshock treatments.” Singh Gohli was eventually sent to religious leaders in an effort to help him “behave normally” after conversion therapy was unsuccessful.

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The prince plans to keep advocating for the queer community, saying, “It’s important for people like me who have a certain reputation in society to continue the advocacy. We can’t just stop because the country repealed Section 377,” he explained. “Now we have to fight for issues like same-sex marriage, right to inheritance, right to adoption. It’s a never-ending cycle. I have to keep fighting.”

It's amazing to see such an important person not only be a member of the LGBTQ+ community in India but to openly advocate for it. The fight for equality is not easily won, but having royalty on your side has to be a boost to the cause for the queer people of India.

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"Do it. Just say something. No, don’t. Don’t stare," actress Alyson Stoner wrote of her fumbling, adorable first thoughts while falling for someone new. "Side-hug and leave."

Photo by Valerie Macon/AFP/Getty Images.

The now-24-year-old was crushing (and crushing hard)on a dance instructor she'd met at a new workshop. There was just one small — well, overwhelming and disorienting — issue: The instructor was a woman. And these new, uncomfortable feelings were puzzling for Stoner, to say the least.

In a powerful new essay in Teen Vogue, the actress and dancer — known for her roles in Disney Channel's "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody," and films like "Cheaper By the Dozen" and the "Step Up" series — reflected on the first time she fell in love with another woman. It's a story that's equal parts heart-wrenching and delightful.

Today’s a special day. 🦋🌈 What It Was Like To Fall In Love With a Woman - written by me. https://t.co/cPipgqbSVi
— Alyson Stoner (@Alyson Stoner) 1522429132

First came all the relatable feelings of irresistible puppy love.

"My heart raced wildly and my body grew hot," the actress wrote, describing a moment when the instructor corrected her form in class. "Was I nervous to fail in front of an expert? Was I breathing heavily from being out of shape?"

But these butterflies, Stoner soon discovered, went far beyond sisterly or platonic love. The train had already left girl crush station.

Stoner has some fun on a red carpet in 2017. Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Awesomeness.

The two women started to hang out outside of class. They began opening up to one another. They Netflixed (and chilled). Pretty soon, it became abundantly clear: "OK, we were in a relationship," Stoner wrote. "I fell in love with a woman."

But, unfortunately, it just wasn't that simple.

Stoner, a person of religious faith, had to unpack many confusing thoughts. She even attempted conversion therapy to avoid embracing these new feelings.

"Like many, I had internalized some of the harmful beliefs and misconceptions about LGBTQ people and identities," Stoner wrote.

She dissected all the factors that could have led her down this road. Was it because she'd experienced abuse from men before? Was it because she was surrounded by open-minded artists and she — even on a subconscious level — wanted a queer identity to help fit in? "Maybe I actually want to be her, and I'm mistaking idolization for romance," she wrote.

Stoner prayed. She turned to reading — both "contemporary and ancient" texts — hoping the words would leap off the page and make it all make sense. She didn't have many queer-affirming voices telling her these feelings were totally normal and perfectly OK.

"Certain pastors and community members tried to reverse and eliminate my attraction to her," she wrote in Teen Vogue.

Conversion therapy — a harmful practice that aims at altering a person's sexual orientation — has been discredited by every mainstream medical and mental health organization in the U.S., according to the Human Rights Campaign. Not only does it not work, but it can lead to depression, anxiety, and suicide for young people at risk.

Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images.

"Some people in the industry warned me that I’d ruin my career, miss out on possible jobs, and potentially put my life in danger if I ever came out," Stoner wrote. "My dream and all I’d worked tirelessly for since the age of 6 was suddenly at risk by my being ... true to myself."

Finally, after hitting what felt like rock bottom, things began falling into place for Stoner.

"I’ll never forget the night I finally collapsed on my bed with tear-stained cheeks, saying, 'God, if I’m evil, then I accept this and give up,'" Stoner wrote. "I’ve believed you are loving, but I don’t want to live a lie."

Instead of devastation, however, the breakdown filled her with a sense of hope. She began seeing the world around her — "life, God, love, humanity, and (literally) everything" — in a new light.

"I, Alyson, am attracted to men, women, and people who identify in other ways," she finally felt comfortable proclaiming. "It is the soul that captivates me."

Stoner is one of a growing number of young Americans who feel comfortable coming out as LGBTQ.

According to Gallup analysis published last year, 10 million Americans — or 4.1% of U.S. adults — identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer. That's up from 3.5% in 2012. Millennials, the analysis found, were the most likely age group to identify as LGBTQ, reflecting the growing acceptance of queer Americans — particularly among young people.

Things really are changing for the better, Stoner believes. And if you're wrestling with your sexuality or identity, she's got your back.

"If you’re questioning or struggling with your sexuality, gender identity, or anything else, know that I and so many who’ve gone before us are with you," Stoner wrote. "Whatever your identity, you are lovable and wonderful and enough. I’m on the other side of some of these battles internally, but it’s still a challenge in the outside world. It’s OK. Dare to be yourself anyway." ❤️

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The petition site is one of the cooler things to come out of the Obama administration.

A little over five years ago, the White House launched the "We the People" petition platform, creating a unique link between the president and the general public.

The premise was simple enough: Regular citizens could create petitions for issues they'd like to see the government act on, and if they received enough signatures (at least 100,000 names), they'd be guaranteed a response from someone within the president's administration.

This week, the Pew Research Center issued a report covering the platform's 4,799 publicly-available petitions and 227 responses from the White House, providing a fascinating look at what issues matter most to everyday Americans.

Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images.

While the platform has been used to make some pretty out-there requests — such as asking the White House to recognize International Talk Like a Pirate Day, to have President Barack Obama play in the 2017 NBA All-Star celebrity game, to release the recipe for the White House's home-brewed honey ale (and they did), and to mandate that states have an official character from Pokémon — it also served its intended purpose of bridging the gap between elected leaders and constituents.

The platform is a reminder that good government means that we all matter, as individuals and as groups.

So let's take a look back at 10 of our favorite "We the People" petitions and White House responses.

1. Recognize the Westboro Baptist Church as a hate group. (2012)

Coming in at more than 367,000 signatures, the petition to brand the notorious church as a hate group is one of the site's most popular entries. While the White House's answer may not have been entirely satisfactory to some (the government does not keep a registry of hate groups), the administration believes that the popularity of this petition (as well as a number of other WBC-related petitions) should bring its own brand of hope to signees.

"One of the remarkable things about this set of petitions is that it shows just how strong the bonds that unite us can be," the White House wrote in reply. "Together, we’re more resilient than those who would try to drive us apart."

Jacob Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church demonstrates outside the U.S. Supreme Court. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.

2. Ban the practice of "conversion therapy." (2015)

Following transgender 17-year-old Leelah Alcorn's 2014 death by suicide, LGBTQ activists renewed a call to put an end to "conversion therapy," the practice of trying to "de-gay" or "de-trans" children. With more than 120,000 signatures, the petition earned an official response from the White House.

In addition to a thoughtful response from White House advisor Valerie Jarret, in which she stated unequivocally that the administration was opposed to the practice (which is, sadly, still legal in all but a few states), it led to a report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration on exactly why the practice is wrong.

3. Make unlocking cell phones legal. (2013)

What makes this one so special? It worked! Cell service carriers moved to make unlocking devices for use on other carriers illegal, and a lot of people pushed back. A little over a year after petitioning the White House, Obama signed the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act into law. 114,000 people asked, and the White House answered.

Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images.

4. Require police to wear body cameras. (2014)

After an officer shot and killed Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, more than 154,000 people took to the We the People website to demand action to help hold law enforcement accountable for their actions (as well as protect them). A number of cities and states have since required police to wear body cameras, and the ACLU even drafted sample legislation for states, municipalities, and the federal government to take up should they so choose.

Photo by Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images.

5. Legally recognize non-binary genders. (2014)

People who identify outside the male-female gender binary are not new. Still, for the most part, non-binary individuals have struggled to get legal recognition of their gender.

Given that estimates of the transgender population sits at 1.4 million (or roughly 0.6% of the U.S.), and that includes those who identify with binary genders, it goes to reason that the non-binary portion of that population is even smaller. Making up just a fraction of the population makes it hard to get the attention of elected officials, and that's why this petition demonstrates the power that the We the People platform has for helping those typically ignored by society.

6. Deport Justin Bieber. (2014)

More than 273,000 We the People users had some rough words for our pop star neighbor from the north, urging the White House to "remove Justin Bieber from our society" for "threatening the safety of our people" and being "a terrible influence on our nation's youth." Harsh.

Having crossed the signature threshold, the White House was obliged to respond. While they did not boot the Biebs from the U.S., they used their clever response to discuss the importance of comprehensive immigration reform. They even compared immigration reform data to Bieber's debut album sales. The response to the Bieber petition may very well be the best thing on the entire site and is worth reading in its entirety.

Bieber performs onstage during the 2016 Billboard Music Awards. Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images.

7. Repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. (2012)

"You're right — it's past time for DOMA to expire," began the administration's response to calls to end the 1996 law. "The Defense of Marriage Act is discriminatory and should be repealed. President Obama has long supported overturning the law through the legislative process. He also has concluded that Section 3 of DOMA is unconstitutional, as his Administration has argued in court challenges across the country."

In 2013, the Supreme Court ruled that Section 3 of DOMA is, as the Obama administration argued, unconstitutional. The decision effectively legalized marriage equality nationwide.

Plaintiff in the DOMA case Edith Windsor waves to supporters outside the Supreme Court. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.

8. Stop construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. (2016)

More than 378,000 people signed the August 2016 petition calling for the government to put an end to the pipeline planned near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in South Dakota. The argument put forth by the petition's authors is that if the pipeline were to leak into the Missouri River, Standing Rock's sole water source, it would make the reservation uninhabitable.

On Dec. 4, 2016, the Army Corps of Engineers announced plans to put the project on hold and explore other routes for the pipeline.

Photo by Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images.

9. Commute Chelsea Manning's sentence to time served. (2016)

(Update February 2017: In one of his last acts as president, Obama commuted Manning's sentence.)

Currently serving a 35-year sentence for leaking classified documents to Wikileaks, Chelsea Manning has endured multiple suicide attempts, extended periods of solitary confinement, and denial of medically necessary treatment related to her being transgender. As harsh as her life has been during her six-plus years behind bars so far, advocates for Manning imagine things will only get worse for her during a Trump administration.

What makes this petition worth following is the fact that while it has surpassed the 100,000 signature threshold, the White House has yet to issue a response.

Chelsea Manning is escorted by military police as she leaves her military trial July 30, 2013, after she was found guilty in 20 out of 21 charges. Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images.

10. Award Yogi Berra the Presidential Medal of Freedom. (2015)

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the nation's highest civilian honor and is given out to a handful of citizens each year. In 2015, more than 111,000 people signed a petition asking Obama to give the award to the baseball legend Yogi Berra.

Acknowledging that while the Presidential Medal of Freedom is something awarded at the sole discretion of the president himself, and therefore something that the team at We the People couldn't directly address, they did note that Berra shared a number of qualities with past honorees.

In Nov. 2015, Obama posthumously awarded Berra the Presidential Medal of Freedom during a White House ceremony.

Larry Berra, son of baseball legend Yogi Berra, receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom on behalf of his father on Nov. 24, 2015. Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images.

Marginalized voices don't always get heard. Too often, it seems like people in government only look out for those whose votes they need when the next election comes around. The We the People platform helps level that playing field because even some relatively niche issues can generate a significant number of signatures.

There's no telling whether or not the Trump administration will continue the We the People platform, but here's hoping they do.

The vice president-elect got a shoutout in the name of a new bill.

New York lawmaker Patrick Burke is doing his part to put an end to a controversial brand of "therapy" that targets the LGBTQ community, specifically kids and young adults.

The goal of this practice, called "conversion therapy," is to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity, and Burke wants to put an end to it in Erie County, New York.

"I didn't know it was still a thing," Burke says, referencing a troubling conversation he had with someone who told him of their experience as a survivor of conversion therapy and the horrible things that were done to them — to the point where it made them suicidal.

"It was really hard to sit there and listen to a person who had suffered so much, and there's nothing to say, but there's certainly something to do," Burke says.

Patrick Burke. Photo from Erie County Legislature.

While conversion therapy has been around for decades, there's little credible proof that it works — and it's certainly not humane.

Over time, conversion therapy has consisted of everything from lobotomies to electroshock treatments to psychoanalysis. It's been described as "torture," and to top it off, it doesn't even work, having been discredited by some of the country's major medical associations.

Five states — California, Illinois, New Jersey, Oregon, and Vermont — along with Washington, D.C., have banned the practice.

Photo by Sergei Supinsky/AFP/Getty Images.

While Burke has proposed similar legislation in the past, he's trying a different approach this time around: focusing on our next vice president.

The full name of Burke's bill is the Prevention of Emotional Neglect and Childhood Endangerment — or PENCE, for short, a reference to Vice President-elect Mike Pence.

Over the course of Pence's career in government, he's earned a reputation as one of the most anti-LGBTQ politicians in the country. He's voted against LGBTQ nondiscrimination bills, spoken out against marriage equality, and yes, even advocated for diverting taxpayer funds from HIV/AIDS prevention programs to support conversion therapy efforts.

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.

Burke has helped influence national policy through local legislation before. With PENCE, he hopes to do it again.

In 2015, Burke proposed a ban on microbeads — which have been linked to plastic particle water pollution — in soaps and facial scrubs. In July 2015, Erie County became the first municipality in the country to ban the beads. Nine states followed suit, and in December 2015, President Obama signed a nationwide ban into law.

While President Obama has called on Congress to pass a bill banning conversion therapy, efforts to end the practice on a nationwide scale have stalled. Burke hopes that, once again, his push for local legislation can reignite a national conversation about an important issue.

"We're going to do this here, we're going to do it right, and we're gonna try and lead again," says Burke.

As for the bill's name, Burke is happy to change it — if Pence walks back his past support for conversion therapy.

Pence's support for conversion therapy comes from a 2000 statement on his website. While it's understandable that a person's views might change over the course of 16 years, Pence hasn't ever walked it — or, really, any of his anti-LGBTQ views — back. Burke hopes his bill will put a little pressure on Pence to do just that.

A screen shot from Mike Pence's website for his 2000 Congressional campaign.

"If Mike Pence wants to publicly say he opposes conversion therapy, I'll change the name of the law tomorrow," adds Burke. "I'd be happy to do that."

Even if Pence never comes out against conversion therapy, there's still something we can all do to help.

It starts with educating ourselves and others. People need to know that efforts to "de-gay" and "de-trans" kids are alive and well. Until Burke encountered someone who had undergone the practice, he didn't know about the practice. It's an issue that could use some raised awareness, and that's something we can all help out with.

Another important thing you can do to help put an end to conversion therapy is to write and call your Congressperson to let them know you support bills like Representative Ted Lieu's Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act, which would outlaw the practice.

It's an overwhelming time in our country, which makes these small acts more important than ever before.