The OUTWORDS Archive

Last updated
The Outwords Archive
Formation2016;8 years ago (2016)
Type NPO
Legal status 501(c)(3)
Purpose Oral history of the U.S. LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, ally, and two spirit) human rights movement
Headquarters Los Angeles, United States
Founder
Mason Funk
Website theoutwordsarchive.org

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]

Contents

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]

Publications

See also

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References

  1. "OUTWORDS Archives". Faces of Freedom. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  2. "OUTWORDS: The National Interview Archive of the LGBTQ Experience". International Documentary Association. 2015-10-26. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  3. "Book captures stories of LGBT trailblazers". The Bay Area Reporter / B.A.R. Inc. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  4. "This Filmmaker Is on a Quest to Capture the Stories of LGBTQ Pioneers All Over America | NewNowNext". www.newnownext.com. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  5. "Uncovering LGBT stories that were hidden from history". Ideas. 2018-05-13. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  6. "Meet the LGBTQ+ Elders Who Rioted, Organized and Lobbied to Change History". KQED. 2019-06-10. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  7. "'The Book of Pride' Celebrates LGBTQ+ Trailblazers". www.out.com. 2019-05-23. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  8. "At WeWork's SF Creator Awards, Big Ideas Deserve Big Celebrations". 7x7 Bay Area. 2018-05-14. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  9. "Lavender Legacies Guide: United States: California | Society of American Archivists". www2.archivists.org. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  10. "Two local residents participate in national LGBTQ+ elders project The Outwords Archive". Desert Sun.