Village People singer defends Trump's use of 'Y.M.C.A.,' says song isn't a 'gay anthem'
Village People co-founder and lead singer Victor Willis said Y.M.C.A. has “benefited greatly” from Donald Trump's use and isn't a "gay anthem."
“Y.M.C.A.” singer and co-writer Victor Willis of the band Village People defended President-elect Donald Trump’s use of the song Monday on Facebook. Willis denied that the disco tune was intended as a “gay anthem,” saying he “knew nothing about the Y being a hang out for gays” when he wrote the lyrics.
Willis said he wrote “Y.M.C.A.” based on what he knew about the worldwide youth organization at the time, particularly the YMCA branches in the urban areas of San Francisco.
“When I say, ‘hang out with all the boys’ that is simply 1970s black slang for black guys hanging-out together for sports, gambling or whatever. There’s nothing gay about that,” he said of one of the song’s most notable lines.
Willis said he has received more than 1,000 complaints about the use of “Y.M.C.A” at Trump’s campaign rallies. Trump began dancing to the 1978 hit at the end of his rallies in 2020 — and still does. Data suggests the staple campaign moment drove the song up the charts, with search interest and listenership soaring on Election Day.
Athletes began mimicking Trump’s dance to the disco classic on the field soon after, raising questions about the presence of politics in sports.
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