The archive headquarters are based in Los Angeles, with the entirety of their digital collection provided to the public for free through their official website.

The nonprofit's stated mission is to "capture, preserve, and share the stories of LGBTQIA2S+ elders, to build community and catalyze social change.

"[1] [2] 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.

[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.