Are there variations of Python that do not have the global GIL lock?

Yes, there are variants of Python without the Global Interpreter Lock (GIL). For example:

• Jython — a Python implementation on JVM, which does not have GIL because it uses JVM's multithreading.
• IronPython — a Python implementation for .NET, also GIL-free.
• PyPy STM — an experimental version of PyPy supporting Software Transactional Memory, attempting to bypass GIL limitations.

However, standard CPython contains GIL, which limits concurrent execution of bytecode in multiple threads. Alternatives without GIL allow better multithreading utilization but sometimes with trade-offs in compatibility or performance.