The song “YMCA” is not a gay anthem, according to its composer Village Person Victor Willis, and he’s planning to sue any publication that refers to it as one.
Willis and the other people from the totally not gay group The Village People, named after a section of Manhattan that in the 1970s was also totally not gay, have been earning steady income that jumped when President-elect Trump began using it during his campaign rallies. And we know Trump wouldn’t use a gay anthem during his campaign rallies because he’s also totally not gay.
According to NBC News, “YMCA” hit #1 on the Billboard charts after Trump began using it.
Willis, who was one of the straight members of the group, claims he knew nothing about any gay connection to YMCAs at the time he wrote the hit and based it on his experience at the organization especially around San Francisco. In the 70s. Totally not gay.
Looking over a catalog of Village People hits, and because we would hate to be sued, we realized “In the Navy” has nothing to do with hot young men cooped up on a ship with each other with no access to the opposite sex for months. No, that song is totally about service to our country. God Bless America. Thank you for such a patriotic song.
And “Go West” didn’t mean going all the way west to San Francisco or West Hollywood. Where the skies are blue? Lots of open air? The song wants you to stop in Idaho or Utah.
And “Macho Man.” Totally not gay. It’s about straight men who work out at totally not gay gyms.
But how can I be so sure the song “YMCA” is not a gay anthem? Because gay people have a sense of humor about themselves. The composer, who is straight, obviously learned nothing from his bandmates.
Should we be outraged the Trump is using this song? Absolutely not. Its composer is making money off of it. Apparently a lot of money. Good for him. It’s kind of like Mel Brooks after the release of the film The Producers commenting that he was the only Jew who’s making money off of Hitler. Or Madonna earning residuals from a church choir singing “Like a Prayer.” She really was on her knees, um, praying.
But Willis is being so touchy about his song being referred to as a gay anthem, so we’re being very clear here. The song is not a gay anthem. Gay people don’t like the song. The song has nothing to do with gay life now or in the 70s. And we think it’s great that after 45 years, he’s making money off of it.
— David Taffet
I used to not care for the YMCA song much, but since President Trump began using it during his campaign, I’ve warmed up to it! If you hear it at your favorite oak lawn bar, good chance I played it on the jukebox! Go Trump!