Montana Daily Montanan Highlights Historical Erasure of LGBTQ+ Figures, Citing William Andrews Clark Jr.
The Daily Montanan has published an article emphasizing the historical erasure of LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly focusing on William Andrews Clark Jr., a prominent Montana millionaire and philanthropist. Clark Jr., born in Deer Lodge, was a lawyer and businessman who became one of Montana's wealthiest men. He was a significant cultural benefactor in Los Angeles, founding the Los Angeles Philharmonic, helping create the Hollywood Bowl, and donating his extensive collection of rare books and manuscripts, including a world-class collection of Oscar Wilde's works, to UCLA. The article highlights that Clark Jr. was a gay man whose relationship with his partner, Harrison Post, was concealed due to societal norms of the time. Despite his significant contributions, his personal history as a gay man was largely hidden and later subject to archival silence, with personal correspondence between him and his partner being destroyed after his death. This historical omission is presented as an example of 'queer erasure... 
