Stephen Donaldson
(1947 - 1996) U.S.A.
Activist
Stephen Donaldson, born Robert A. Martin, Jr., was the gay liberation activist who in 1966 founded the world's first gay student organizations at Columbia University. In 1977, he became the first U.S. Navy veteran to have a homosexual discharge upgraded to fully Honorable Discharge under President Jimmy Carter.
When he was arrested for trespass at the White House during a peaceful Quaker protest against the bombing of Cambodia, and sentenced to prison for two days, he was gang-raped 60 times and sexually tortured for the whole two days. After his release he underwent rectal surgery as a result of the violence of the attacks.
Donaldson became president of Stop Prisoner Rape, Inc., an organization dedicated to ending the rape of prisoners and assisting survivors of jailhouse rape. He died of AIDS related complications, having been infected by HIV during the rape in prison.
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