Stephen Donaldson was born Robert Anthony Martin Jr. He became a significant figure in LGBTQIA+ history, advocating for gay rights and recognition of bisexual people under the pseudonym Stephen Donaldson. He was also known as “Donny the Punk”.
Warning: This report includes details of sexual assault.
He is remembered as an LGBTQIA+ rights pioneer for his activism, campaigns for prison reform, and his writing about punk rock and other subcultures.
Donaldson grew up in several seaport cities on the east coast of the United States and spent time in Germany during his youth. At age 12, he was sent to live in Germany with relatives after being expelled from the Boy Scouts for sexual behaviour.
After several years in a boys’ boarding school in Germany, he completed his high school education in Florida, living with his grandparents. While on a school trip to New York City, and having recognised his sexual orientation, he secretly joined the Mattachine Society, one of the earliest gay rights organisations.
An excellent student, Donaldson was accepted to Columbia University. After his grandmother discovered he was in a relationship with another man, she informed both his family and the university without his consent. Donaldson wrote to Columbia asking whether he would still be allowed to enrol as an openly gay man. The university agreed on the condition that he attend psychological counselling and refrain from pursuing relationships with other students.
At university, he adopted the name Stephen Donaldson to avoid embarrassing his father. He began writing about gay rights and, in 1967, founded the Student Homophile League — the first such organisation at an American university. The group still exists today as the Columbia Queer Alliance.
Within four years, more than 150 universities across the United States had established similar organisations, with Donaldson playing a leading role. During and after his studies, he worked as a writer for various publications and also engaged in sex work.
Donaldson later identified as bisexual, particularly after forming a relationship with Judith “JD Rabbit” Jones. He spoke openly about biphobia within parts of the gay liberation movement.
He enlisted in the United States Navy but was investigated after a personal letter revealing his sexuality was discovered and reported. This resulted in a general discharge, which was later upgraded to honourable.
After leaving the Navy, Donaldson resumed his activism, focusing on bisexual visibility. Alongside Brenda Howard and L. Craig Schoonmaker, he is credited with helping popularise the term “Pride” to describe LGBTQIA+ marches and protests. He continued his work as a journalist.
In 1973, he took part in “pray-ins”, where peace activists demonstrated at the White House. Following his arrest, Donaldson refused bail, arguing that bail systems disproportionately disadvantage people with fewer financial resources.
While imprisoned, he experienced sexual assault. He later alleged that prison authorities deliberately placed him in a more dangerous unit in retaliation for his writing about prison corruption.
After his release, Donaldson spoke publicly about his experience of assault but chose not to pursue legal action against those responsible. He later described his internal conflict between seeking accountability and not wanting to contribute to harsher sentencing.
In the 1970s, he became involved in New York’s underground punk scene and struggled with mental health and substance use. In 1980, after being refused treatment at a Veterans Hospital in the Bronx, he returned with a firearm and discharged a shot at a window.
Although no one was injured, he was charged with attempted murder and sentenced to ten years in prison, where he experienced further sexual assault.
While incarcerated, he continued writing. After his parole in 1984, he became a counsellor for male survivors of sexual violence and continued advocating for prison reform.
Stephen Donaldson died on 18 July 1996 from a bronchial infection while living with HIV. He was 49 years old.
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