Vampire Weekend keyboardist Rostam
Batmanglij said last week that he was inspired to come out by Ed
Droste, front man for Grizzly Bear.
Batmanglij first publicly discussed his
sexuality in a 2009 interview with Rolling Stone.
On National Coming Out Day, Batmanglij
posted a photo of himself and Droste, taken in what appears to be a
diner.
“Here is a pic of me and @edroste
from 2009,” he wrote on Instagram. “I met Ed when our bands were
both playing a festival somewhere in Europe earlier that year. At
that point I was out to friends and family but not out yet in press”
“Ed was someone who had always been
out. Before I ever heard Grizzly Bear's music I had read a
super-candid interview w him in Butt Magazine. I was like, 'who is
this guy, he JDGAF!' (And that is still true to this day.) But Ed's
candor inspired me. Having him as a friend bolstered my courage to
come out in press – something I had always intended to do.”
“In October of 2009 Josh Eells
profiled VW for Rolling Stone; it was the first time someone
wanted to write an article about our lives. And it was also the first
time someone had been able to hear Diplomat's Son from Contra, – a
song I had started on my own w the intention of telling a gay story.
The timing felt right and I felt I could trust Josh, so in a phone
interview with him I talked about being gay with a journalist for the
first time.”
“The album and the article wouldn't
come out for another two and a half months and I'm pretty sure this
picture was taken somewhere in that period. It was a strange time in
my life. looking back on things, it felt so important to have
'reasons' to come out. but in fact, what I'd really like to do is to
work towards living in a world where people don't feel they need
'reasons' to come out. and I think in the last six years I've felt
this change in the world around me and I hope to feel more of it. all
of which is to say #happycomingoutday,” he added.