08/23/2026
A Note From Your Gay Spirit Visions Council …
Greetings, Brothers and Siblings!
We realize our Fall Conference announcements are arriving a bit later than usual, and we sincerely appreciate your patience. Behind the scenes, the Gay Spirit Visions Council has been hard at work on several exciting initiatives to strengthen and enhance our organization's online presence.
We are pleased to announce that Gay Spirit Visions has launched a new and greatly improved website, along with a new domain name.
In the meantime, please note the URL below, which currently serves as our temporary placeholder page. As we move forward, we encourage you to watch for additional updates and the launch of full website functionality.
Questions or comments? Contact us at [email protected].
Thank you again for your patience and continued support.
Warmly,
Gay Spirit Visions Council
https://www.gayspirit.org/
2026 Gay Spirit Visions Fall Conference
GROWING A WISE HEART: THE WAY OF SACRED RELATIONSHIP
September 24–27, 2026
The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center, Highlands NC
Convener: Scott Dillard
Keynote Speaker: Hunter Flournoy
Dear Brothers and Siblings:
This year’s Gay Spirit Visions Fall Conference will explore the art and practice of Growing a Wise Heart, and what becomes possible when that heart opens into sacred relationship—with ourselves, with each other, and with the holy mystery that moves through all things. Together we will ask:
• What does it mean to live from the heart rather than merely talk about it?
• How do we cultivate the kind of heart wisdom that transforms not just ourselves but the world around us?
• What makes a relationship sacred—and how do we grow our capacity for that kind of love?
• As q***r and gay men, what unique gifts do we bring to the great work of growing a wiser, more loving humanity?
Our keynote speaker, Hunter Flournoy, will guide us through this terrain with two immersive offerings—drawing on somatic wisdom, heart-centered spiritual practice, the mystics of many traditions, and forty years of holding sacred space for men who love men. Come rest your body, open your heart, and discover again what you have always, at your deepest center, already known.
I am excited to let you know that we already have some great workshops in store for you. I would like more workshops, so please send me your ideas. You may connect your workshop to the conference theme, but that is not necessary to include it in our Fall Conference workshop offerings. So, think broadly. What insights do you have to share with the gathering? What passions would you like to explore with others? Is there something fun or creative that you would like to engage with others at the conference? If so, please send your ideas to me at [email protected]. The deadline for workshop proposals is Tuesday, Sept. 1.
Here are a few of the workshops already planned for our time together:
The Heart Chakra: A Bridge to a Sacred Relationship with Self and Others. Jef Blocker, facilitator. The heart chakra is often described as the bridge between our physical and spiritual selves. When our heart is open, we become more capable of giving and receiving love, practicing compassion, setting healthy boundaries, and cultivating authentic relationships with ourselves and others.
In this experiential workshop, we'll explore how the heart chakra connects the grounding energy of our lower chakras with the wisdom of our upper chakras. Through guided meditation, personal reflection, journaling, partner conversations, and group sharing, you'll discover practical ways to strengthen your relationship with yourself while creating deeper, more meaningful connections with others.
A Sacred Gay Myth-Making Playshop. Pete Cossaboon, facilitator. Come and play your way into the wisdom of the open heart. In this lighthearted, meaningful workshop, we’ll use colorful cards, archetypes, humor, and a Mad Libs-style hero’s journey to create sacred gay myths about courage, tenderness, desire, shadow, and belonging.
One fire helps the heart protect itself through courage, clarity, and boundary. Another helps it open through beauty, tenderness, desire, and play. No one has to spill their deepest story. The stories do the work sideways, letting laughter, imagination, and gentle reflection reveal how the heart can open without losing itself.
Both fires belong.
A Conversation on Spiritual (or Religious)) Narcissism. Camilo Delgado, facilitator. We all have a bit of spiritual narcissism, but too much of it may blur our connection with Spirit. Let’s take a closer look so we can move it aside and get closer to our Source of love, light and joy.
Spiritual narcissists have a sense of absolute certainty and sound like self-proclaimed authorities. They think in black and white and deride you if you don’t agree with them. They spew out spiritual verbiage with pride, arrogance, and self-righteousness and won’t value different points of view. They speak with an absence of understanding and compassion. Oftentimes the spiritual narcissist uses spiritual concepts to not deal with their own wounds.
So come and share your thoughts on this barrier to greater growth.
There will be more information on these workshops and others as we move closer to the conference.
The conference will include Small Group meetings, the Parade of Beauties, Talent Show, Silent Auction, a Dance, and a Cabaret Soirée.
Of course, the most important element of any of our gatherings is simply you. You and all of your presence and openness of what can transpire at the conference is what makes our time together so meaningful. I hope that you will be there.
Warmly,
Scott Dillard
2026 Gay Spirit Visions Fall Conference Convener
Scholarship Information and Application Deadline
Financial assistance in the form of scholarships is available. The financial assistance application submission deadline is Thursday, Sept. 10 at 5 p.m. ET. 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 GSV Financial Assistance Application form for more information and to begin the application processes. Remember, the financial assistance application submission deadline is Thursday, Sept. 10 at 5 p.m. ET.
Getting to The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center
If your transportation plans include flying, the closest and easiest airport to fly in and out of is Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) located in Fletcher, NC, just south of Asheville, NC.
Please note that there are no public transportation options from AVL that service The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center. You may wish to consider rental car services at AVL. The drive from AVL to The Mountain is approximately 2 hours, or longer if you are not accustomed to mountain driving conditions.
The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center is located west of the town of Highlands, NC. For detailed driving information and transportation options, click here.
Accommodations
4 Day/3 Night Package (Thursday through Sunday)
Bunk House (shared room up to 4 people) $345.00 + tax per person
Lodge or Duplex Cabin (double occupancy) $405.00 + tax per person
Single Occupancy (private room)—See information below under "Registration"
For All Rooms, Add Required GSV Program Fee of $100.00 Per Person
Check out the Registration Portal for Optional Extra Night Before
(Wednesday Night) and/or After (Sunday Night)
the Conference.
Registration
Participants needing accessible accommodations are encouraged to register early.
All Single Occupancy (private rooms) for the 2026 GSV Fall Conference are for people with medical needs. The 4 Day/3 Night Package (Thursday through Sunday) cost for single occupancy (private room) is $615.00 plus tax. These rooms are very limited in number and will be assigned based on need and availability. For Single Occupancy (private room) consideration, email Julia Jamieson, Guest Services. Email: [email protected]. WELCOME BACK, JULIA JAMIESON!
Registration closes on Thursday, Sept. 10 at 5 p.m. ET. We remind you that recent fall conferences have reached capacity long before registration closes, so you are encouraged to register as soon as possible.
All questions about registration should be directed to The Mountain [email protected] - Phone (828)-526-5838.
NEW!
Ready to register for the Fall Conference? Please click on the "Register for Fall Conference" hyperlink below. The hyperlink below will take you to the temporary Gay Spirit Visions website homepage. Once there, click on the purple "Register for Fall Conference" hyperlink and begin the registration process.
Registration for the 2026 Gay Spirit Visions Fall Conference is now open!
CLICK HERE → Register for Fall Conference ← CLICK HERE
