Danny Lyon, Pumpkin and Roberta, Galveston, Texas, 1967

Narrator: In 1967, Lyon traveled to Galveston, Texas. There he became friends with two trans women, Roberta and Pumpkin Renée. He photographed them, and recorded their stories.

Todd Gitlin: He says “My greatest strength has been empathy with others different from myself.” And that’s, what I see is a man who beholds those who are other than himself. He’s not pretending to be them. But he’s challenged by them. In fact, I think he’s drawn to people who, through their expressions, are challenging. So in that sense I see him not as an activist photographer. I see him as a consummate collector of challenges.