During a recent rally, Donald Trump’s playlist choices became a talking point, specifically the inclusion of “Y.M.C.A.” by the Village People. While the shift to music was prompted by attendees needing medical attention due to heat, the song selection raised eyebrows, especially considering Trump’s sometimes strained relationship with the LGBTQ+ community. But Why Ymca? The song’s presence in this context invites a deeper look into its history and cultural significance.
Here is Donald Trump, dancing to “Y.M.C.A.”, but not doing the “Y.M.C.A.” dance. Can we trust this man with the power of the presidency?
A Song Woven into the Cultural Fabric: The Ubiquity of “Y.M.C.A.”
“Y.M.C.A.” is more than just a song; it’s a cultural phenomenon. For many in the United States and beyond, particularly those under 55, the song is deeply ingrained in their cultural memory. From kindergarten classrooms to summer camps and even political rallies, “Y.M.C.A.” is a ubiquitous anthem. Its simple, infectious melody and, crucially, its accompanying dance have made it universally accessible and enjoyable across generations and social groups. The dance, spelling out the letters with arm movements, transcends language barriers and dance skill, making it a perfect crowd-pleaser at gatherings of all kinds. Its widespread appeal is undeniable, making it a seemingly safe and familiar choice for any event.
Dog killer Gov. Kristi Noem does the dance, like a normal human being would.
Decoding the Subtext: Unearthing the Gay Roots of “Y.M.C.A.”
Beneath the surface of this seemingly wholesome sing-along lies a rich, often overlooked subtext rooted in gay culture. “Y.M.C.A.” was created by the Village People, a band conceived by French producers Jacques Morali and Henri Belolo to capitalize on the burgeoning disco scene and target gay discotheques. The Village People themselves were a deliberate construction, embodying macho stereotypes prevalent in the gay culture of Greenwich Village in the 1970s – a construction worker, a policeman, a cowboy, a Native American, a soldier, and a leather biker. Their very name, “Village People,” was a direct reference to Greenwich Village, then largely synonymous with homosexuality.
The gay-coding was very subtle
Victor Willis’s Ambivalence and Public Awareness
While lead singer Victor Willis, dressed as a policeman, has claimed no homosexual intent in co-writing the song, this assertion is largely seen as disingenuous. Even in 1978, contemporary media hinted at, or directly acknowledged, the song’s gay connotations. A Rochester, N.Y. newspaper in December 1978 described the Village People’s personas as “macho” identities, suggesting an awareness, even if couched in heteronormative language, of the band’s carefully constructed image. It remains ambiguous whether this was genuine obliviousness or a knowing wink to the song’s subtext.
Commercial Strategy and Shifting Social Tides
The Village People’s commercial success stemmed from a calculated strategy. As David Hodo, the construction worker in the group, admitted in 1978, “This is the kind of show gays dig…Gays like us because they love disco. They’ve helped keep disco alive.” He further acknowledged the band’s deliberate ambiguity regarding their members’ sexual orientations, stating, “If you say you’re straight, you risk losing the gays. If you say you’re gay you can lose the straights. So we don’t advertise our preferences. Why cut out part of your audience?” This commercial pragmatism reflected the evolving social landscape of the 1970s, a period of increased gay liberation following the Stonewall riots and preceding the AIDS epidemic. For a brief window, it was commercially viable to appeal to a gay audience, a stark contrast to the repression of previous decades and the backlash to come.
From Gay Anthem to Mainstream Staple: The Trajectory of “Y.M.C.A.”
The immense popularity of “Y.M.C.A.” ironically contributed to its “straightwashing,” diluting its overt gay subtext as it crossed over into mainstream culture. The song became, in the words of journalist Peter Shapiro, “the quintessential mainstream disco experience,” played at Holiday Inn Rainbow Rooms across Middle America. The “Y.M.C.A.” dance, mistakenly created for an American Bandstand performance, further cemented its mainstream appeal, becoming detached from its origins and embraced by a broader audience.
The Paradoxical Playlist: “Y.M.C.A.” in the Age of Trump
Bringing it back to the Trump rally, the inclusion of “Y.M.C.A.” highlights the song’s complex evolution. Its mainstream ubiquity now allows it to be deployed without irony, even in contexts that might seem at odds with its origins. While some in 1978, like the Tulsa YMCA director who felt “the hairs on the back of my neck went up” due to the song’s “obvious gay connotations,” were acutely aware of its subtext, this awareness has largely faded in mainstream perception. The song’s journey reflects a broader cultural trend where subversive elements can be absorbed and neutralized through mainstream adoption. Why YMCA at a Trump rally? Perhaps because its now-neutered mainstream status allows it to function as a purely energetic, inoffensive crowd-pleaser, its original context largely forgotten or ignored.
These commercial calculations, however, show that in the Seventies you could conceivably make money by passing as homosexual, which … was quite a change from 15 or 20 years earlier (or, again, from five or ten years later).
Ultimately, the story of “Y.M.C.A.” is a fascinating case study in cultural appropriation and the shifting meanings of popular music. From its intentional creation as a gay anthem to its accidental transformation into a mainstream staple, the song’s journey reveals much about societal attitudes towards homosexuality, commercialization, and the complex ways in which music and culture intersect. Understanding this history adds a layer of irony, and perhaps even a touch of subversion, to its continued presence in unexpected places like a Trump rally playlist.
Seattle Gay News (December 8, 1978) noted that the Tulsa YMCA director said “the hairs on the back of my neck went up” because of “what seemed to me to be obvious gay connotations”.
