“I’m a nomad. I don’t live in one particular place. I go where the world wants me to go and share my ideas about the LGBT Community, being a part of it and working for change.” The GNLU Centre for Law and Society organized a Special Guest Lecture on ‘LGBT Community and their Legal Rights’ on April 18, 2016, Monday. The lecture was delivered by Mr. Manvendra Singh Gohil, Chairperson of the Lakshya Trust Foundation which works for and with the LGBT Community. Mr. Gohil is an openly gay Indian male whose story of coming out had made headlines in 2006 by virtue of his being the son and probable heir of the Maharaja of Rajpipla in Gujarat. He faced extreme resistance from the society with effigies of him being burnt publicly. He has appeared as a guest on the Oprah Winfrey show and been featured in a show entitled ‘Gay around the World’ and a BBC Television series, Undercover Princes. He shared the journey and his experience pertaining to these milestones with the students of GNLU. Mr. Manvendra Singh discussed his views regarding the LGBT community’s backward position and the ostracization faced by them, as well as the role of identity as unique to each individual. He also briefly discussed the role of the courts and the Naaz Foundation judgment by the Delhi High Court. He expected positive outcomes in the future in light of the NALSA judgement pertaining to Transgender Rights, as a symbol of the impending change. The session was extremely interactive with students raising questions pertaining to the interpretation of Section 377, Indian Penal Code, 1860 and Mr. Manvendra’s views on the same. He also raised various points regarding the hypocritical nature of society in light of the images and sculptures in Indian places of worship as well as the history of eunuchs in Indian courts and the role played by them. Students questioned him on the parallels between the LGBT movement and the Feminist movement as well as his views on Gay Prides which have resulted in severe opposition in society. He also posed students questions regarding funds for the cause and whether supporting homosexuality could also be considered a crime in itself when it furthered and resulted in the progress of society as well as the various terms used by society in light of one common identity- of being humans. The lecture was extremely honest and provided the students with food for thought with various perceptions and stereotypes shattered.
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Special Guest Lecture on "Disability Rights: Challenges and Opportunities" by Mr. George Abraham4/19/2016 GNLU Centre for Law and Society is organising a Special Guest Lecture on 'Disability Rights: Challenges and Opportunities' on Thursday, April 21, 2016. Mr. George Abraham, Founding Chairman, World Blind Cricket Council (WBCC) will deliver the lecture and interact with the audience. About the Guest Speaker: George Abraham is a social worker. He is the founding Chairman of the World Blind Cricket Council (WBCC) and the Association for Cricket for the Blind in India (ACBI). He is also the founder of the SCORE Foundation in New Delhi that helps several visually impaired people live their life on their own terms by providing them with employment and teaching them new skills. In 1996 Abraham was chosen to run in the Olympic Torch Relay in the Atlanta Olympics. He received the Sanskriti Award in 1993, the Rotary Vocation Award in 1996 and the Rotary for the Sake of Honour Award in 2003. Abraham was elected as an Ashoka Fellow in 2001 and in 2007 he was chosen as a Limca Book of Records People of the Year for his contribution to Blind Cricket and his work with Project Eyeway along with the likes of A R Rahman and Mahesh Bhupati. Abraham has been featured on Discovery Channel's Discovery People. He was part of the Aviva Forward Thinkers 2007 TV campaign. Time: 2.30 PM (please be seated by 2.20 PM) Date: Thursday, April 21, 2016 Venue: Hall No. 0.8, Academic Block, GNLU You are invited to attend the lecture. Special Lecture on "LGBT Community and Their Legal Rights" by Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil4/17/2016 GNLU Centre for Law and Society is organising a Special Guest Lecture on 'LGBT Community and their Legal Rights' on Monday, April 18, 2016. Mr. Manvendra Singh Gohil, Chairperson Lakshya Trust, will deliver the lecture and interact with students. About the Guest Speaker: Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil is an openly gay Indian man who runs a charity, The Lakshya Trust, which works with the LGBT community. Manvendra is the son and probable heir of the Maharaja of Rajpipla in Gujarat. On 14 March 2006, the story of Manvendra's coming out made headlines in India and around the world. His effigies were burnt in Rajpipla, where the traditional society was shocked.Manavendra appeared as a guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show on October 24, 2007. He was one of three persons featured in the show entitled 'Gay Around the World'. He inaugurated the Euro Pride gay festival in Stockholm, Sweden, on 25 July 2008 and featured in a BBC Television series, Undercover Princes, screened on BBC Three in the UK in January 2009 which documented his search for a British boyfriend in Brighton. In 2000, Manvendra started the Lakshya Trust, which he is the chairman, a group dedicated to HIV/AIDS education and prevention. You can read more about Mr. Gohil by clicking here. Time: 2.30 PM (please be seated by 2.20 PM) Date: Monday, April 18, 2016 Venue: Hall No. 0.8, Academic Block, GNLU You are invited to attend the lecture. |