Gandhi Book Banned for Hinting at Homosexuality

The state assembly of Gujarat, a western state in India, voted unanimously to ban "Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and His Struggle With India," by Pulitzer-Prize winner Joseph Lelyveld. Other states may follow. Suggestions in the book that Gandhi may have had a homosexual relationship are behind the outrage.

While Joseph Lelyveld insists the quotes used by the press in India and elsewhere are taken out of context, the furor is only building. It's telling that the mere thought of homosexuality is more outrageous than other statements in "Great Soul."

A thorough review of the book reveals the humanity of Gandhi, flaws and all. Who are some other people whose posthumous revelations caused sensations?

Mother Theresa losing her faith

When letters were made public revealing famed religious humanitarian Mother Theresa had a crisis in faith over decades, the conversation was worldwide. Some of the faithful reacted defensively, while nonbelievers saw her admissions as hallmarks of an agnostic mind.

"What do I labor for?" she asked in one letter. "If there be no God, there can be no soul. If there be no soul then, Jesus, You also are not true."

Christopher Hitchens, famed atheist and author of "God is Not Great," wrote a piece for Slate.com in which he pulled no punches.

"The Pope beatifies Mother Theresa, a fanatic, a fundamentalist, and a fraud," Hitchens wrote.

Charles Lindbergh and his extended family

Charles Lindbergh was an American icon held up as hero to a nation. His flying exploits are part of aviation history. When his infant son was kidnapped and murdered, the entire nation mourned. Dubbed "The Crime of the Century," the murder of little Charles still stirs deep emotion.

Lindbergh suffered image problems because of his sympathetic views toward Nazi Germany. He even accepted a medal from Luftwaffe Commander Hermann Goering in Germany in 1938. After WWII started, Lindbergh flew 50 combat missions in the Pacific, and his image was restored somewhat.

After the war, Lindbergh went into virtual seclusion until the 1960s, when he became an outspoken conservationist. Time and his work helped to further weaken the memory of fascist association, but then his image took fresh blows when it came out Lindbergh had fathered multiple children by several women while married.

Lindbergh led a second life in postwar Europe, fathering three children with one woman and another two with her sister. He visited the children frequently under the name "Careu Kent." He also fathered two children with his former secretary.

Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean

After the death of Elizabeth Taylor March 23, 2011, writer Kevin Sessums revealed that Taylor had told him a secret years ago, and had asked it not be revealed until after her death. She told Sessums legendary actor James Dean had confided to her that he was molested by a minister when he was young.

The revelation sheds new light on the life of James Dean. Did the fact he was molested mark him for life? Does it explain his sometimes tortured relationships?