Village People founder reveals why he allows Donald Trump to use ‘YMCA’ and denies it is ‘gay anthem’

Village People founder and singer Victor Willis has revealed why he allows Donald Trump to use “YMCA” while rejecting the popular belief that it is a “gay anthem.”

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In a Facebook post shared yesterday (December 2), Willis – who sang lead vocals on the track and is listed as a co-songwriter – spoke in detail about the song.

He explained why he’s now had a change of heart – in 2021, Willis expressed relief that after Trump’s loss to President Joe Biden, “his misuse of our music appears to have finally come to an end.” Willis prefaced by saying that he has received “over a thousand complaints” since 2020, since Trump began using the song in his presidential campaign.

Now, however, Willis has changed his mind: “One day I said to my wife, ‘Hey, ‘Trump’ seems to really like ‘YMCA’ and he’s having a lot of fun with it.”

“So I just didn’t have the heart to stop him from continuing to use my song when so many artists refused to allow him to use their material. That’s why I told my wife to inform BMI not to revoke the license for political use in the Trump campaign.”

In 2020, Willis said he felt compelled to act by calling on Trump to stop using the song after Trump apparently threatened to shoot Black Lives Matter protestors in Minneapolis.

Willis is co-songwriter of “YMCA” with French music producer Jacques Morali, who died in 1991. “My French partners were considering legal action outside France,” Willis continued. “That’s why I had my wife contact our French partners and ask them to stay out of the Trump campaign’s use of YMCA, as it is a US matter and I will make the decision on its use.”

The singer revealed that the song “benefited greatly from the President-Elect’s use,” citing its return to No. 1 on the Billboard charts. Per The Telegraph“YMCA” climbed the Billboard Dance/Electronic sales charts on November 5th – US Election Day – and reached number one the week of November 17th following Trump’s victory.

“The financial benefits have been great and it is estimated that ‘YMCA’ has grossed several million dollars since the president-elect continued to use the song,” Willis explained. “That’s why I’m glad I allowed the president-elect to continue using ‘YMCA’ and I thank him for choosing to use my song.”

Willis’ post doesn’t end there, however, as he has another issue to address: that “YMCA” is “kind of a gay anthem.”

“As I have said many times in the past, this 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 on the first Village People album it was exclusively that’s what gay life was all about,” Willis wrote.

In a 2017 interview with News.com.auWillis explained that “YMCA” was “not written as a gay song because I’m just not gay.”

His answers back then reflect the sentiment of his Facebook post today: “When I say, ‘Hang out with all the boys,’ that’s just 1970s black slang for black men playing sports, playing, or whatever together always. There’s nothing gay about it.”

Willis believes that the use of “YMCA” as a gay anthem “based on the fact that gays once used certain YMCAs to generate activity” is “totally wrong” as “the assumption that the song alludes to this” is “totally wrong.” “misguided”.

He then stated that starting in January 2025, his wife would take legal action against “every single news organization” that “falsely” labels the song as a gay anthem. However, he added: “I don’t mind gays considering the song as their anthem.”

“The song is not really a gay anthem, unless some people falsely claim that it is,” Willis concluded. “And this has to stop because it’s damaging the song.”

Additionally, guitar brand Gibson recently sent a cease-and-desist letter to Trump Guitars, touting support from President-elect Donald Trump for “infringing on Gibson’s exclusive trademarks, particularly the iconic Les Paul body shape.”