In 1995, two transgender women saw the need to open their home to displaced members of the local transgender community. Changing House is a short (18 min) film about what became known as Transy House, which closed after 15 years of providing rooms.

The film provides a succinct overview of why there was a need for housing, pointing to such issues as individuals being kicked out of their parents’ homes and dropping out of school because of discrimination.

Changing House interviews Rusty and Chelsea, the founders of Transy House, as well as some of the residents. Despite the underlying serious issues, the film depicts the positive atmosphere of the house for those who elsewhere faced serious discrimination. Transy House provided a safe haven for like-minded individuals.

These interviews reveal some of the issues facing the transgender community; however, the brevity of the film makes it feel somewhat slight. The issues raised beg for deeper exploration. This deficiency is particularly apparent when discussing activist Sylvia Rivera who stayed in the house in 1997. The film does not do enough to explain the context of Rivera’s activism to convince viewers why her appearance at Transy House is significant.

Overall, Changing House is an interesting and engaging film and well worth watching. It is a good introductory look into issues of discrimination faced by transgender individuals; however, the production is amateur at best and the short running time keep this film from being high on my list.