@pierreok I’m very grateful that you took the time to think and write about this idea! And thanks for allowing more links, I’ll amend the original message with references for posterity.
The language barrier is a significant one and I’m glad you confirm this. It is easy to overlook how it can be an obstacle. But it is a fundamental way for people working on the same project to bond together and choosing to embrace a common language makes a lot of sense. I participated in a project last year involving about twenty people and they chose differently: only to speak English although all but one of them spoke another language fluently. It created frictions (not tensions) and made it harder for everyone to communicate. In the end I’m not convinced the benefit was significant.
The GitLab choice is something I did not see and is a sound one. Although I feel closer in spirit to Gitea and very much admire the originality of sourcehut, they currently fill different spaces in the Free Software world. I can imagine how these differences fueled internal debates in indiehosters 
The idea that was proposed does not necessarily imply a change within the organization but it would require learning and adopting another forge, at least at some level and I can understand how this would need to be approved collectively.
The notion of growing a new team of two on a new project, a bit independently still requires work on everyone’s part. Even if it is stripped down to the bare minimum (a « mental charge ») it still is more than nothing. And together with the language barrier and the choice of Gitea versus GitLab… it’s a little much when combined. Although the proposal was turned down for a different combination of factors by Gitea, Codeberg and April, it boils down to something similar: not perfectly aligned and not in the roadmap.
It appears that we failed to convince existing organizations of the value of our proposal, four times, and that should tell us something. Your answer is by far the most heartwarming and kind, I can’t thank you enough for that 
I’m not sure how to analyze why we were so convinced it would be accepted. One thing comes to mind: a very significant asymmetry in the perception of the value of the proposal. Maybe a fifth proposal will convince Easter-Eggs… or not 
In any case there won’t be a sixth.
I like your proposal to keep the discussion open and will diligently keep this topic updated as you suggest. Although it is unclear what can come out of this, I share your impression that this resonates on many levels.
To be continued!
). Would you mind letting me know when IndieHosters members will spend a week together discussing strategy for the upcoming six months? I’d like to make sure I’m available, should you be inclined to discuss how 
I’m available all day, you can choose whatever hour you prefer!