Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony will feature the Village People’s ‘YMCA,’ a song often associated with LGBTQ+ culture that gained popularity among his supporters during rallies. Originally inspired by the YMCA in Greenwich Village, the disco classic has been reinterpreted by Trump’s advocates as a symbol of freedom, distancing it from its suggestive origins. Despite initial objections, Victor Willis, one of the song’s creators, now embraces its continued use, indicating the ongoing debate surrounding its meaning.
Will Donald Trump raise his hands skyward during the iconic anthem ‘YMCA’ by the Village People? The announcement of the renowned disco group’s participation in his inauguration ceremony on Monday, January 20, might have initially raised eyebrows. However, during the recent election, this song, which has become synonymous with gay culture, was frequently belted out by Trump’s supporters at the conclusion of his rallies. This intriguing phenomenon certainly warrants further exploration.
Originating from the 1978 album Cruisin’, the song ‘YMCA’ stands for Young Men’s Christian Association, an international organization focused on youth, with numerous student accommodations worldwide. Established in New York during the mid-19th century, it primarily catered to working-class young men seeking refuge in bustling urban landscapes.
A Disco Classic with French Roots
This universally recognized hit was crafted by two French producers, Jacques Morali and Henri Belolo, who drew inspiration from a visit to the YMCA in Greenwich Village, a neighborhood with a vibrant gay community. To bring the song to life, they assembled six singers, each embodying distinct masculine archetypes: a policeman, an Indian, a soldier, a cowboy, a construction worker, and a biker.
While ‘YMCA’ quickly found a home in LGBTQ+ circles, its ‘suggestive’ lyrics played a significant role in this acceptance. The catchy chorus includes lines like, ‘It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.. They have everything for young men to enjoy. You can hang out with all the boys.
In the 2000s, this interpretation faced scrutiny from Victor Willis, the Village People’s policeman, who argued that the ‘good times’ referenced activities provided by the youth hostels. However, in the documentary Secret Disco Revolution, released in 2013, Jacques Morali, who identified as gay, openly expressed his intention to create an anthem for the LGBTQ+ community. Yet, whether this song became a staple of Donald Trump’s rally playlist remains debatable.
During the spring of 2020, as the world grappled with the Covid-19 pandemic, the song’s chorus resonated through the streets of various U.S. cities amid protests against lockdown measures. Stripping the song of its sexual implications, demonstrators reimagined the letters YMCA to represent MAGA (Make America Great Again), turning it into a rallying cry for freedom. This revamped version reemerged at events featuring a defiant Donald Trump later that year.
A Nostalgic and Masculinist Reimagining
In an interview with the BBC, anthropologist Jamie Saris noted that Trump’s supporters ‘want to relive certain moments they associate with a time when America was great. However, they tend to overlook the contradictions. Many young people back then found disco problematic, yet today they idealize the 1970s, perhaps because they don’t suffer from back pain!‘. Even more striking, some activists don outfits resembling veterans or policemen, transforming the archetypes of the late ’70s into symbols of masculinity.
The reappropriation of ‘YMCA’ transcended borders. Last November, several far-right Members of the European Parliament celebrated Donald Trump’s victory in the halls of the Brussels Parliament. In a social media video, members of the Patriots for Europe group commemorated a ‘historic‘ moment that showcased ‘the strength of a patriotic movement‘, all while dancing to the tune of this disco anthem.
But how do the Village People feel about this? In 2020, Victor Willis sent a cease-and-desist letter to Trump’s team when impersonators of the Village People performed at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Florida estate. However, he has since reconsidered his stance. ‘YMCA will generate millions due to its repeated use by the elected president, and I’m delighted it continues to thrive‘, he shared on Facebook last December.
In this post, the 73-year-old singer, who will be seen performing at the White House on Monday, further distanced himself from the song’s erotic undertones. ‘I’m certain we can discover plenty of ways to enjoy ourselves‘, he stated. He also warned, ‘Starting in January 2025, my wife will sue any media that labels YMCA as a so-called gay anthem‘. It’s clear that the conversation surrounding this song is far from over.