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Summary India's first royal gay Prince Manvendra Singh one of 500 most influential gays in the world.
Congratulate him on this latest accolade coming to him, and Manav (as hes fondly called) says: Im really happy that I have made it to this list, which has along with me -another Indian - a Delhi-based lawyer.But, Im saddened by the fact that Indias most vocal and pioneering gay, Ashok Row Kavis name hasnt been added in the list, when he deserved to be there for sureThe best part about the prince of Rajpipla is that despite gaining so much of popularity, he still remains a down-to-earth person. Ask him the reason behind this humility, and he replies: As a child, I was never allowed to mingle with the normal kids. My relations with my parents were also very formal. In fact, my mother never hugged me.Royal relations are completely mired in protocol, so there is never a deep connect with the parents and family. Thats why when I came out of the closet, I found my freedom. I find it easy to reach out to the common man and bond with him effortlessly. This is a more real world and I thrive in itManav is the only gay royal to be interviewed by the celebrity chat show hostess Oprah Winfrey. Ask him if he has any plans to meet her when he goes to the US a few months later, and pat comes the reply: Im going to the US for an event at the United Nations, so I will not be able to meet her.But, I must confess that I simply adore Oprah. Shes very real and such a nice human being. In fact, I proposed to her when I met her last and told her that if I wasnt gay, I would have married her.
