Optional Gil was originally discussed in 2022, PEPd in early 2023 and approved for 3.13, What do you mean going nowhere or that leadership didn't want it?
I think dekhn means the discussions and attempts at removing the GIL before this current PEP. Here's Guido's thoughts on it from 2007: https://www.artima.com/weblogs/viewpost.jsp?thread=214235 and that mentions a fork removing the GIL for Python 1.5 in 1999.