Gay Prince Returns to India Enlightened

Gay icon and prince of Rajpipla Manvendra Singh Gohil’s visit to EuroPride festival at Stockholm in Sweden proved to be a huge success with the Swedish government and NGO’s extending support to him for his movement to take up issues of gays in India. Gohil’s NGO ‘Lakshya’ will also tie-up with Swedish NGOs and agencies to improve the condition of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in India.

Under one of the tie-ups, HIV Sweden — an umbrella group formed by HIV positive people in Sweden — will come to India to document Lakshya’s body of work for gay men in Gujarat state. Even Swedish International Development Agency, formed by government of Sweden, has agreed to render financial and technical support to Gohil for his projects.

Many ministers and parliamentarians in Sweden have agreed to initiate talks with Indian ministers in order to make LGBT an acceptable community in India. Another agency, Noah Ark, has agreed to train people, especially counsellors working with LGBT community in India.

“This was first time that EuroPride organisers had invited an international representative in their annual festival. They wanted to know how India treats LGBT community and about the impediments we face. People I met asked me one question — “Aren’t you scared to take up such a cause in a country where homosexuality is a seen as a taboo?” shared Gohil.

Get more on this story at timesofindia.indiatimes.com.

Over 10,000 Attend Stockholm Gay Pride

With rainbow flags on buildings and buses for more than a week, it was hard to miss Stockholm’s gay pride festival. On Saturday, about 45,000 people showed up for the finale, a downtown march.

Some 450,000 people lined the route, police and organizers said. The annual march was held for the first time in 1977.

“I’ve never seen it before,” said Leila Hammouda, a 39-year-old Stockholmer whose father comes from Algeria. “I’m sure they would never permit this in Algeria.”

Read more at iht.com or here at gayagenda.com.

Stockholm Making Prepartations for EuroPride

Ten of thousands of spectators are expected to attend this years EuroPride in Stockholm, making the city Europe’s gay capital.

Having first held the festival ten years ago, the ‘Swedish Sin, Breaking Borders’ themed event is set to attract members of the LGBT community from across the world as it has now been extended to ten days.

Find the details at pinknews.com.uk.