The Outwords Archive (OUTWORDS) is a nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles. It records and archives on-camera interviews with elders from the
LGBTQ+ community throughout the United States.[1][2]
History
Inspired by the
Shoah Foundation’s Visual History Archive of interviews with Holocaust witnesses and survivors, documentary TV and film producer Mason Funk established OUTWORDS in 2016. Half-day interviews are conducted on high-definition digital video by film crews, primarily in the homes of interview subjects.[3] Interviewees have included
lesbian,
gay,
bisexual,
transgender, and
intersex individuals, as well as representatives of various sub-communities of the LGBTQ community including
drag queens,
leather daddies,
lesbian separatists, and
allies. Most interviewees are over 70 years old.[4]
In May 2018, OUTWORDS received a Creator Award in the Community Giver category from the co-working company
WeWork.[5] In May 2019,
HarperCollins published the first compilation of OUTWORDS interviews, entitled The Book of Pride, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the
Stonewall Riots.[6][7] At the same time, OUTWORDS released a searchable digital platform which makes video interviews and historical photos freely available to the public.[8]
Interviews
As of August 2023, OUTWORDS had recorded on-camera oral histories with over 300 LGBTQIA2S+ elders in 40 states. Interviewees have included:[9][10]