Village People's hit YMCA's true meaning as 'gay icons' perform at Trump inauguration
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The Village People's hit Y.M.C.A. has become the track of Donald Trump's second inauguration, yet the meaning may not be what it seems. The band will perform alongside Nelly, Carrie Underwood, Kid Rock, Billy Ray Cyrus and Jason Aldean at the US Capitol as Trump gets sworn in again. They joined Trump on stage hours before his inauguration as they closed his victory rally in Washington D.C and performed Y.M.C.A. alongside him.
Their 1978 disco track was long considered to be an anthem for the LGBTQ+ community and the band was founded by two French music producers who were inspired by the scene at a gay club in New York City. Village People frontman Victor Willis, who is the only original member left in the band, previously spoke out against Trump using the track yet has had a change of heart.
The band had hits with other songs Macho Man, In the Navy and Go West, with lyrics that touched on the gay lifestyle. However, Victor has insisted Y.M.C.A. has nothing to do with the gay scene and insists it is not a gay anthem. The key line “You can hang out with all the boys” was widely interpreted at the time as being a euphemism for gay hookups in the charity’s gyms and swimming pools.
Victor explained the line is “simply 1970s Black slang for Black guys hanging out together for sports, gambling or whatever. There’s nothing gay about that.” The song, which has sold some 12million copies, earned a new fanbase after Trump adopted it. The group wasn't always so happy with Trump using the track as manager Karen Willis sent Trump's legal team a cease-and-desist letter two years ago.
