Gay Spirit Visions began as an all-volunteer group of men who planned and facilitated an annual fall conference. There were no officers or titles, only a commitment to working by consensus – a process embraced by the Radical Faeries and adopted by the earliest members of the governing body of GSV. Reaching consensus meant giving all men assembled an opportunity to be heard with the ultimate goal being solidarity of opinion.
More structure and by-laws followed legal incorporation in January 1996. As Gay Spirit Visions evolved, the planning committee was officially rechristened The Council of Gay Spirit Visions. The Council typically consisted of eight to twelve men, and as the organization evolved, additional administrative responsibilities beyond the complexities of conference planning were added. Early on, the Council started publishing a newsletter (ultimately morphing into an online journal), as well as coordinating monthly potlucks and developing more annual retreats.
After celebrating the organization’s 20th anniversary in fall of 2009, the men comprising its governing body at the time — The Council of Gay Spirit Visions — began a discussion about sustainability. They asked, How can GSV endure for another twenty years?
A goal was identified: transform GSV. After naming our fears, some major brainstorming and listening to Spirit, the Council and interested brothers reached consensus to gradually release the operations, planning and leadership of GSV from Atlanta control.
An action plan emerged and by early 2010 a regionally diverse task force of GSV brothers was formed to promote a paradigm shift away from the Atlanta-centric model established by our founders in 1990. However, one thing remains the same: Gay Spirit Visions is an all-volunteer organization committed to creating safe, sacred space for men who love men.