The Billy Memorial

Listen more often to things than to beings
'Tis the ancestors' breath when the fire’s voice is heard
'Tis the ancestors' breath in the voice of the water
- Birago Diop

Billy Gatherings are so ‘present tense.’ We gather, we leave, ebb and flow. Over time, it’s inevitable that our memories of Billys now gone have begun to fade. We forget a name, but remember a face; remember a moment but forget what he looked like. We grieve a loss, but then he becomes history. The combined impact and rapidity of our losses from AIDS at the height of the epidemic was devastating. Even so, the loss of any Billy is a blow to our community.

One way to keep the spirit alive of Billys now gone is in this Memorial Page. We’re a group with a rich history, filled with great personalities of every sort. Even as we evolve together, we don’t want to lose what’s come before. Here, we honor all Billys, those lost to the epidemic or in other ways. And we honor ourselves by keeping our hearts open to what has come before. And for those who have yet to find us, here are the names and faces of those who will be your history one day.

We want to thank so many for their support in putting this together.  To name just a few, Mark Weigle, Marcus Borgman, Bill Blackburn, Joe Arcangelini, Terry Brown, Charlie Seltzer, Paul Mueller and the Board, and Mugwort of RadFae.org (many men moved between Billy and Faerie circles).  We have worked together as a single unit creating this page and collecting the material for it, and it’s been an honor to have added to the many memorial activities (Mark Weigle’s panel project for example or Joe A’s photo albums) that have happened over the years. 

Collecting information for events that have happened, in some instances, over twenty years ago means that there are likely errors and omissions. Please write David at  if you have any additions, corrections, updates or pictures. You’ll find an Archive Page that lists everyone. Click on a name and you’ll be taken to an individual’s page. If you encounter a "" symbol, this indicates that either the information is incomplete or missing. 

As Beautiful Dove used to say,
Roses from our hearts to yours,

Chris Lombardi and David Grossblat

August, 2016