US Village People Singer Denies “Y.M.C.A.” Is a “Gay Anthem” As He Defends Trump’s Use of Song - Victor Willis says he will take legal action against any news organization that suggest "Y.M.C.A." is a gay anthem beginning in January 2025

Village People, photo by Robin Platzer/Images/Getty Images

Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.” has served as Donald Trump’s go-to theme song for the last several years, to the point where the president-elect even has his own choreographed dance to accompany it. In a new Facebook post, Village People founding member and songwriter Victor Willis defended Trump’s use of the song while also firmly denying any gay connotations that you may come come to associate with the anthem over the years.

Willis said he initially asked Trump to cease playing “Y.M.C.A.” at his events as the the complaints he received from fans became a “nuisance to me.” However, “the Trump campaign knew they had obtained a political use license from BMI and absent that license being terminated, they had every right to continue using ‘Y.M.C.A.’ And they did.”

Besides, Willis explained, Trump “seems to genuinely like ‘Y.M.C.A.’ and he’s having a lot of fun with it,” and “I simply didn’t have the heart to prevent his continued use of my song in the face of so many artists withdrawing his use of their material. So I told my wife to inform BMI to not withdraw the Trump campaign political use license.”

Willis also acknowledged the financial benefit, noting that he stands to make “several million dollars” due to Trump’s continued use of the song.

As for the idea that “Y.M.C.A. is “somehow a gay anthem,” Willis said that “is a false assumption based on the fact that my writing partner was gay, and some (not all) of Village People were gay, and that the first Village People album was totally about gay life.”

Willis continued:

“This assumption is also based on the fact that the YMCA was apparently being used as some sort of gay hangout and since one of the writers was gay and some of the Village People are gay, the song must be a message to gay people. To that I say once again, get your minds out of the gutter. It is not.

Sadly, when the President Elect started using the song, people attempting to brand the song as a gay anthem reached a fever pitch as many used it to say, oh, Trump don’t know the song is a gay anthem? This was done in a manner to attempt to shame the President Elect’s use of the song.

As I stated on numerous occasions, I knew nothing about the Y being a hang out for gays when I wrote the lyrics to ‘Y.M.C.A.’ and Jacques Morali (who was gay) never once stated such to me. In fact, Jacques never once told me how to write my lyrics otherwise I would have said to him, you don’t need me, why don’t you simply write the lyrics.

I therefore wrote ‘Y.M.C.A.’ about the things I knew about the Y in the urban areas of San Francisco such as swimming, basketball, track, and cheap food and cheap rooms. And 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.

So, to the extent that ‘Y.M.C.A.’ is considered a gay anthem based on the fact that gays once used certain YMCA’s for elicit activity, the assumption that the song alludes to that is completely misguided.

Therefore, since I wrote the lyrics and ought to know what the lyrics I wrote is really about, come January 2025, my wife will start suing each and every news organization that falsely refers to ‘Y.M.C.A.’, either in their headlines or alluded to in the base of the story, that ‘Y.M.C.A.’ is somehow a gay anthem because such notion is based solely on the song’s lyrics alluding to elicit activity for which it does not. However, I don’t mind that gays think of the song as their anthem.

But you’d be hard-pressed to find ‘Y.M.C.A.’ on the play list at any gay club, parade or other gay activity in a way that would suggest it’s somehow an anthem to the community other than alluding to illicit activity, which is defamatory, and damaging to the song. But it stops in 2025.

However, you know where you-will find ‘Y.M.C.A.’? On the play list of almost every wedding, bar mitzvah, sporting organization, and the song is used in commercials and motion pictures and products worldwide.

The true anthem is ‘Y.M.C.A.’s appeal to people of all strips including President Elect Trump. But the song is not really a gay anthem other than certain people falsely suggesting that it is. And this must stop because it is damaging to the song.”

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[The Lawgiver]

I'd believe this, if only as a consideration of the sci-fi genre. Though I don't know if people in the 90s were trooning out specifically over anime as much? Feels like it was the last decade when people decided they didn't want to grow up and oh also cut their dicks off.

It's a generally well known bit of movie development trivia. Years ago it was treated as any other trivia and a cool/novel concept that's kindof realistic to how digital avatars work that got cut . Now though? "PROOOOF THEMATRTIX WASALWAYS ABOUT HOW THEY WERE CLOSETED TRRAAAAAANSWOMYN!"

As a guy who's had a running gag of using a specific avatar type gimmick thelast 3 years due to inside joke shit, I only dislike this claim even more compared to before these last 3 years!

 

[Aero the Alcoholic Bat]

> Threatening legal action against anyone who calls it a gay anthem

When even the Village People are getting fed up with the gays....

 

[The Lawgiver]

> Threatening legal action against anyone who calls it a gay anthem

When even the Village People are getting fed up with the gays....

"IT'S FUN TO STAY AT THE K! K! K! KAY!" -Mac tonight, shortly after snorting ten lines of coke post firing from his job at mcdonalds as the late night mascot.

 

[breadandcircuses]

I once read a claim that the first draft had a cut character who was a man in the real world but a woman when in the Matrix.

The really butch chick that gets gunned down by Joey Pants is supposedly that character, but they went in a different direction.

 

[Totallyunknown]

Whys the whole song about young men and the place young men can go where they have everything young men enjoy?

In fact, it literally never mentions women not one time. There is no hot female receptionist. There is zero heterosexuality expressed in this song. There's not even the goal of getting on your feet to have a family etc. It's just staying at the Y with other young men where they have everything young men enjoy except women.

Honestly, I never even thought that deep into it before and I actually sort of accepted that a song from the 70s might not be explicitly gay given how obscure the era was but now that I analyzed it based on this guy saying it's not gay, I have to say - it's pretty fucking gay though.

Next year the guy who wrote Ram Ranch is gonna be like actually this song is extra straight you only think it's gay because you are gay.

 

[Random Internet Person]

It must have been In the Navy that was the gay anthem then...

They even got to film the music video on a ship IIRC. Honestly, I think both “In The Navy” and “YMCA” have proven they can be legit promotion songs for their respective organizations. No matter how much cynical Internet users try to do otherwise.

Leave it to leftists to be massive killjoys.

 

[stupid frog]

Telling people this song isn't gay will probably trigger someone, so let's do it.

 

[not william stenchever]

Next year the guy who wrote Ram Ranch is gonna be like actually this song is extra straight you only think it's gay because you are gay.

Perhaps Ram Ranch and the Gachimuchi memes are this generation's form of content that's really gay but men who aren't gay find very silly. And an example from the past being that one bit of Pompeii grafitti that says "Weep, you girls. My benis has given you up. Now it penetrates men's behinds. Goodbye, wondrous femininity!"

 

[The Lawgiver]

Perhaps Ram Ranch and the Gachimuchi memes are this generation's form of content that's really gay but men who aren't gay find very silly. And an example from the past being that one bit of Pompeii grafitti that says "Weep, you girls. My benis has given you up. Now it penetrates men's behinds. Goodbye, wondrous femininity!"

Gachimuchi is the gay stuff that's transcended mere gay stuff because of how fun the guys behind it were.

 

[Tasty Tatty]

I guess for some people, the idea that men just want to hang out with other men is gay by default? Shit like this is what gave us women being forced into the Boy Scouts despite Girl Scouts exist.

the president-elect even has his own choreographed dance to accompany it.

It's just boomer dancing. If you've ever see your grandpa trying to dance despite his age, that's the choreography. It's adorable, though.

 

[Blewberry Nausea]

I guess for some people, the idea that men just want to hang out with other men is gay by default? Shit like this is what gave us women being forced into the Boy Scouts despite Girl Scouts exist.

Nope it’s totally about the messenger being guys dressed like strippers and the atmosphere the song was created in when gays prowled men’s only spaces. I mean, they have a hairy leather daddy bear come on now.

 

[jertzog]

Willis said he initially asked Trump to cease playing “Y.M.C.A.” at his events as the the complaints he received from fans became a “nuisance to me.” However, “the Trump campaign knew they had obtained a political use license from BMI and absent that license being terminated, they had every right to continue using ‘Y.M.C.A.’ And they did.”

Wow, an actual honest and reasonable statement that doesn't make wild claims of owning your own music rights and empty threats to exercise those nonexistent rights.

 

[Amateur Shoelace Tyer]

What'chu talkin' bout, Willis?

 

[Ughubughughughughughghlug]

Perhaps Ram Ranch and the Gachimuchi memes are this generation's form of content that's really gay but men who aren't gay find very silly. And an example from the past being that one bit of Pompeii grafitti that says "Weep, you girls. My benis has given you up. Now it penetrates men's behinds. Goodbye, wondrous femininity!"

Also What What (In the Butt)

And watching gay porn for the A+ acting

 

[Kiwi Lime Pie]

This is the first time I've ever seen an image of the village people. Next thing you're gonna tell me is the "village" references a gay village.

I heard the village part is a reference to the gay area of Greenwich Village. Whether that's true or an urban myth, who knows .

Wow, an actual honest and reasonable statement that doesn't make wild claims of owning your own music rights and empty threats to exercise those nonexistent rights.

There wasn't much Victor (Willis) could do with the song properly licensed and generating royalties. Sure, he could ask for the license to be revoked as he said, but it likely would make him look bad.

Even if the song was never intended to be a gay anthem, there are enough double entendres in the lyrics to explain why the gay community would embrace it as such -- along with the group's original costumes playing up gay stereotypes in the campiest ways possible. Still, I can respect Victor saying the song is intended to be enjoyed by anyone. Time will tell if the threats of lawsuits over the song's perception are legitimate or little more than celebrity bluster.

 

[MirrorNoir]

“You can hangout with all the boys”

Like it’s in the lyrics.

I also wonder how the true and honest YMCA feels about their gym being associated with it

Just like Metallica's One boosted sales to the novel of Johnny Got His Gun, Village People boosted attendance and awareness of YMCA amongst normies as the organization has fallen onto hard times by the late 70s and the song boosted attendance to their facilities.

 

[WonderWino]

Interesting that his issue basically boils down to gay culture attempting to co-opt what he sees as a specifically intercity black experience.

I wonder if this will get any push back or if the YMCA song will mysteriously pitter out from the cultural zeitgeist because lefties don't want to choose between their favorite pets.

I wouldn't be surprised if this leads to them getting the same treatment the dixie chicks got back in the day after those comments about bush and the invasion of iraq

That said you wouldn't think the media would want to associate this particular song with gays as it rather heavily implies alot of gay shit goes on there, which gets dangerously close to advertising it as a place for gays to groom young men

Then again nobody ever accused the media of being smart or thinking that far ahead

 

[Miriam Margoyles]

Is it time to reassess the poll?

 

[Mr. Confederate Man]

Whys the whole song about young men and the place young men can go where they have everything young men enjoy?

In fact, it literally never mentions women not one time. There is no hot female receptionist. There is zero heterosexuality expressed in this song. There's not even the goal of getting on your feet to have a family etc. It's just staying at the Y with other young men where they have everything young men enjoy except women.

Honestly, I never even thought that deep into it before and I actually sort of accepted that a song from the 70s might not be explicitly gay given how obscure the era was but now that I analyzed it based on this guy saying it's not gay, I have to say - it's pretty fucking gay though.

Next year the guy who wrote Ram Ranch is gonna be like actually this song is extra straight you only think it's gay because you are gay.

Because it’s the YMCA and not the YWCA. Would a 70s song about the Boy Scouts mention them selling cookies?

 

[Hazel Motes]

I once read a claim that the first draft had a cut character who was a man in the real world but a woman when in the Matrix. Might just be fan bullshit to always claim The Matrix was troon propaganda but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Wachowski Bros were always degenerate. They were watching anime in the early 90s way before that shit that cursed genre was even known by Americans.

There's an infamous article in Rolling Stone from the late 90s about both Wachowski's relationship with a dominatrix. Maybe all that leather was not just to look cool...