Queer Bodies/Gay Spirit
September 28 – October 1, 2023
The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center, Highlands NC
4 Day/3 Night Package (Thursday through Sunday)
Bunk House (shared room up to 4 people) $285.00
Lodge or Duplex Cabin (double occupancy) $330.00
Register Now!
Convener: Jonny “Mothra” Gray
Keynote Speaker: Tim Miller
Greetings, Siblings!
This is the “last call” for participation and registration for the Gay Spirit Visions 2023 Fall Conference! Tim Miller, our keynote speaker, is excited to work with us on community building through the stories in our bodies. And our GSV siblings have really stepped up to offer a great slate of workshops.
If you are curious about the kind of work Tim Miller has been doing for the queer community, the following URL includes the Canadian documentary, “Tim Miller: Loud & Queer.” The documentary chronicles Tim’s work with gay men’s groups in New York City in the early 1990s. https://vitheque.com/en/titles/tim-miller-loud-queer
Important Information
The conference begins on Thursday, September 28. Check-in at The Mountain begins at 3:00 p.m. EDT. There will be an informal reception at 5:00 p.m., new attendee orientation at 5:30 p.m., dinner at 6:00 p.m., and opening ceremonies will commence at about 7:30 p.m.
The conference ends with lunch on Sunday, October 1. We anticipate lunch will be served between 12:30 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. If you don’t have to hit the road right away, you are welcome to stay after lunch and assist the various working circles with clean up, but we understand many of you may have a long commute.
Finally, you may be following the summer uptick in COVID-19 cases in some parts of the U.S.; so are the GSV Council and the Fall Conference Convener. GSV and The Mountain are currently following CDC guidelines for dealing with large group gatherings, which emphasize personal responsibility. Those guidelines and our plans can change; we will keep you notified if they do. As with other elements of GSV, we encourage you to attend the conference at your own comfort level. You are strongly encouraged to be up to date on your vaccines and boosters, mask if you need to, notify close contacts, and isolate if you have been exposed and/or test positive for COVID-19. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html
Scholarship Information and Application Deadline
Financial assistance in the form of scholarships is available. The financial assistance application submission deadline is September 16. We hope that anyone who resonates with our mission and community, and who has the desire to attend, can join us at our gatherings. To that end, we offer financial assistance through the Raven Wolfdancer Financial Assistance Fund. Please go to the Financial Assistance page on the Gay Spirit Visions website for more information and for a link to the GSV financial assistance application form. Remember, the financial assistance application submission deadline is September 16.
Registration
While the Fall Conference is currently full, we anticipate that some slots will be opening up. You are encouraged to join the waitlist by following the prompts on The Mountain’s registration system or call the registrar at (828) 526-5838 x218. No payment is required to join the waitlist.
The GSV Council has asked me to remind all who plan to register that single occupancy requests must be cleared with the Council and require a medical excuse. For private room consideration please email [email protected].
Registration closes Saturday, September 23 at 5:00 p.m. All questions about the conference should be directed to the Council ([email protected]) rather than The Mountain.
The GSV 2023 Fall Conference schedule is coming together, and our time together will be heartwarming, thought-provoking, and fun. I am so looking forward to seeing you all there!
Warmest regards,
Jonny “Mothra” Gray
2023 GSV Fall Conference Convener