Donald Trump thinks YMCA is the ‘gay national anthem’ and plays it at Mar-a-Lago. Yes, really
Village People (Andrew Chin/Getty) and Donald Trump (Alex Wong/Getty)
Donald Trump has made it clear he can’t stop, won’t stop playing Village People‘s hit track “YMCA” at any given opportunity and now the former US president has opened up more about his fondness for the “gay national anthem”.
Yep, the 75-year-old was known for constantly playing the disco hit at rallies, despite pleas from the Village People for him to stop using it, and Trump has confirmed the track also features on the playlist during parties at his Mar-a-Lago resort.
During a new interview on the Full Send podcast, the former bigot-in-chief explained that the iconic song – which is definitely not about gay sex – was always one he would request for his parties.
The Village People, the iconic band behind the equally iconic song, “YMCA”. (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
When asked what his “go-to banger” is, Trump replied: “I have a lot of them. You know a song that does get people moving? I love Broadway stuff, Phantom of the Opera and Les Mis etc. You know what gets them rocking? ‘YMCA.'”
“‘YMCA’, the gay national anthem. Did you ever hear that? They call it the gay national anthem. But ‘YMCA’ gets people up and it gets them moving.”
Trump added that his choice of song to follow the 1978 track is “maybe” Sam & Dave’s 1966 hit “Hold On, I’m Comin'”.
“You know we just have a good time,” Trump added.
During his presidential campaign and disastrous presidency, Trump regularly used both “YMCA” and the Village People’s other gay anthem, “Macho Man”, at campaign events – even dropping a bizarre supercut of him dancing to the former in November 2020.
Donald Trump speaks at a rally in January, 2022.(Getty/ Mario Tama)
He steadfastly ignored the band’s threat to sue him if he continued to use their music without their permission. In June 2020, Victor Willis – the only original member of the group – begged Trump to stop using their songs at his rallies.
“I ask that you no longer use any of my music at your rallies especially ‘YMCA’ and ‘Macho Man’,” Willis wrote on his personal Facebook page at the time. “Sorry, but I can no longer look the other way.”
No, the Village People’s ‘YMCA’ is not about ‘illicit gay sex’
While “YMCA” instructs a “young man” to stay at the YMCA where he will find “many ways to have a good time”, the song is absolutely not about gay sex.
No, it’s really not – at least, that’s according to Willis, who threatened in September 2020 to sue anyone who said it is about queer love.
“‘YMCA’ is one of the most iconic songs in the world. I will not stand idle and allow it to be defamed. Therefore, I will sue the next media organisation, or anyone else, that falsely suggests ‘YMCA’ is somehow about illicit gay sex,” he wrote on Facebook at the time. “Get your minds out of the gutter please! It is not about that!”
