My Male Heart-Centered Community

Sometimes I cannot deny myself the need I have to be with those who are like-minded and share values that are near, dear, and/or important to me. But... like with visits to biological family, there are also times when I feel as if I were up against those who are actually my 180° polar opposite!

These differences can be explained by any number of factors; childhood, education, life experience, over-exposure to republican BOOHshih, hurtful love, to name a few.

I go to circle meetings and often find myself sitting in silence; like a bad therapy session that might be interrupted with phrases such as, "What are you feeling IN the moment?" or "Pay attention to your breathing?" or "Silence has its therapeutic value." Yeah, well, at least I'm not blowing away $75/session to sit around in silence.

Still, I find the need to simply be. I work in excess of 40 hours per week in a predominantly heteronormative environment. There is scant little eye candy and these days I don't trust most folks because the incentives to be mean just seem to be overpowering.


Who are the Billys?
The Billys is a heart-centered community woven together by shared values and by our shared experience as gay, bi, and queer men. We strive to be present and mindful with ourselves and each other as we gather four times a year in extraordinary rural venues in Northern California, and now in collaboratively created, rich online venues. Each gathering is a work of art, carefully crafted by Billys to take us to places of joy and playfulness, intimacy and openness, creativity and self-expression. We embrace everyone with deep welcome and radical acceptance.

What are our values?
Heart Circle is our central ritual and consensus is our process; they embody our values. Ongoing Heart Circles keep us connected and in community in online events through the current pandemic. We encourage ourselves to be present and mindful by advocating an environment free of drugs and alcohol at our gatherings. We envision the creation of a world based on principles of nonviolence, sustainability, cooperation, service, and the building of deeper wisdom through shared perspective.