How did "YMCA" become a right-wing anthem?

“YMCA,” the famous song by the Village People, has long been considered one of the most representative anthems of the American gay community and a symbol of a certain libertine approach to romantic relationships. In recent years, however, the song has also become very popular among conservative circles and far-right groups in the United States. This is mainly because Donald Trump, during his 2024 presidential campaign, frequently used the song, dancing to it with his own unique moves at the end of rallies. Specifically, the moves of what has become known as the “Trump dance” involve swinging the arms back and forth and swaying the hips while keeping the feet stationary. The American newspaper Politico described it as: “Think of your uncle dancing at a wedding after drinking Aperol spritz at the open bar.” On TikTok, after Trump’s election victory, several videos began circulating of young members of student fraternities celebrating to the tune of “YMCA.”

Although Trump had been dancing at rallies for years, the trend of imitating him seems to have emerged only recently. The phenomenon has even reached the sports world. The first athlete to perform the “Trump dance” was the fighter, Jon Jones, after winning a martial arts match attended by Trump himself, along with some future members of his administration. Later, several American football players also attempted the “Trump dance” to celebrate after scoring. Recently, Victor Willis, a member of the Village People who wrote the lyrics to “YMCA,” said he has received numerous complaints in recent years from fans irritated by Trump’s use of the song. Willis also revealed that, in 2020, he asked Trump’s team to stop using the song, but Trump’s campaign had already secured permission through BMI, an American copyright organization. However, Willis admitted that the “Trump dance” has brought significant benefits to “YMCA,” which recently topped the Billboard music singles chart.

What is the origin of “YMCA”?

“YMCA” was released in 1978, when the Village People were already very famous, thanks to the success of the album Macho Man and their striking aesthetics, the brainchild of producers Jacques Morali and Henri Belolo—who essentially created “the Village People project” from scratch. According to the Financial Times, when the two began selecting future members for the band, they placed a rather peculiar ad in some American magazines: “Wanted: macho; must know how to dance and have a mustache.” Their goal was to create a group that could appeal to the tastes of the country’s gay community, and they decided that the members of the Village People should embody a very uninhibited masculinity. The band members themselves personified iconic cinematic archetypes, such as the cowboy, the police officer, or the biker. But more than their costumes, the Village People stood out for their ironic, double-entendre-filled songs, almost all of which were about sex.

The title “YMCA” comes from the acronym for “Young Men’s Christian Association”, a Christian organization founded in London in 1844, which, among other things, built housing for people moving to big cities in search of work. These were primarily white men from rural areas, and as a result, these facilities became popular with homosexuals seeking partners as early as the beginning of the 20th century. The lyrics of “YMCA” quite clearly emphasize this aspect. The song, among other things, says: “It’s fun to stay at the YMCA,” because “they have everything for young men to enjoy.” The song was an instant hit, becoming a famous group dance known around the world.