In 2020, Village Folks first accepted of Donald Trump enjoying their music at his rallies, then modified their minds, after which modifications their minds once more. Immediately, Victor Willis of the disco group thanked the forty seventh American President for his marketing campaign’s use of “Y.M.C.A.” in a brand new Fb submit.
In October, Willis informed Billboard that Trump was “legally entitled” to make use of the track “as a result of he took the time to use for a political use license, which was granted by my efficiency rights group, BMI.” He clarified that he supported Kamala Harris, however that he “[doesn’t] dislike Trump.”
In his Fb submit as we speak, he expanded on why he let Trump use “Y.M.C.A.,” and asserted that the track “isn’t actually a homosexual anthem.” Right here’s what he wrote:
WHY I ALLOWED PRESIDENT ELECT TRUMP’S CONTINUED USE OF Y.M.C.A. AND WHY THE SONG IS NOT REALLY A GAY ANTHEM
To Village Folks followers and the media:
I’m the singer and author of the lyrics to the hit Y.M.C.A. In truth, as was adjudicated and dominated in a U.S. District Courtroom, I wrote 100% of the lyrics, and my writing accomplice, Jacques Morali wrote the music.
Since 2020, I’ve acquired over a thousand complaints about President Elect Trump’s use of Y.M.C.A. With that many complaints, I made a decision to ask the President Elect to cease utilizing Y.M.C.A. as a result of his use had change into a nuisance to me.
Nevertheless, the use continued as a result of the Trump marketing campaign knew they’d obtained a political use license from BMI and absent that license being terminated, they’d each proper to proceed utilizing Y.M.C.A. They usually did.
In truth, I began noticing quite a few artists withdrawing the President Elect’s use of their materials. However by the point I stated to my spouse at some point, hey, “Trump” appears to genuinely like Y.M.C.A. and he’s having a variety of enjoyable with it.
As such, I merely didn’t have the center to forestall his continued use of my track within the face of so many artists withdrawing his use of their materials. So I informed my spouse to tell BMI to not withdraw the Trump marketing campaign political use license. My French companions have been considering authorized motion out of France. So I had my spouse contact our French companions and requested them to remain out of the Trump marketing campaign’s use of Y.M.C.A. as a result of it’s a U.S. matter, and I’ll make the choice on his use. Our French companions shortly backed off of their objection to his use.
Y.M.C.A. has benefited vastly from use by the President Elect. For instance, Y.M.C.A. was caught at #2 on the Billboard chart previous to the President Elect’s use. Nevertheless, the track lastly made it to #1 on a Billboard chart after over 45 years (and held on to #1 for 2 weeks) because of the President Elect’s use.
The monetary advantages have been nice in addition to Y.M.C.A. is estimated to gross a number of million {dollars} because the President Elect’s continued use of the track. Due to this fact, I’m glad I allowed the President Elect’s continued use of Y.M.C.A. And I thank him for selecting to make use of my track.
There’s been a variety of discuss, particularly of late, that Y.M.C.A. is by some means a homosexual anthem. As I’ve stated quite a few occasions prior to now, that could be a false assumption based mostly on the truth that my writing accomplice was homosexual, and a few (not all) of Village Folks have been homosexual, and that the primary Village Folks album was completely about homosexual life.
This assumption can also be based mostly on the truth that the YMCA was apparently getting used as some kind of homosexual hangout and since one of many writers was homosexual and a few of the Village Individuals are homosexual, the track should be a message to homosexual individuals. To that I say as soon as once more, get your minds out of the gutter. It’s not.
Sadly, when the President Elect began utilizing the track, individuals trying to model the track as a homosexual anthem reached a fever pitch as many used it to say, oh, Trump don’t know the track is a homosexual anthem? This was executed in a fashion to aim to disgrace the President Elect’s use of the track.
As I said on quite a few events, I knew nothing in regards to the Y being a hang around for gays after I wrote the lyrics to Y.M.C.A. and Jacques Morali (who was homosexual) by no means as soon as said such to me. In truth, Jacques by no means as soon as informed me easy methods to write my lyrics in any other case I’d have stated to him, you don’t want me, why don’t you merely write the lyrics.
I due to this fact wrote Y.M.C.A. in regards to the issues I knew in regards to the Y within the city areas of San Francisco reminiscent of swimming, basketball, observe, and low cost meals and low cost rooms. And after I say, “hang around with all of the boys” that’s merely Seventies black slang for black guys hanging-out collectively for sports activities, playing or no matter. There’s nothing homosexual about that.
So, to the extent that Y.M.C.A. is taken into account a homosexual anthem based mostly on the truth that gays as soon as used sure YMCA’s for elicit exercise, the idea that the track alludes to that’s fully misguided.
Due to this fact, since I wrote the lyrics and should know what the lyrics I wrote is admittedly about, come January 2025, my spouse will begin suing every information group that falsely refers to Y.M.C.A., both of their headlines or alluded to within the base of the story, that Y.M.C.A. is by some means a homosexual anthem as a result of such notion is predicated solely on the track’s lyrics alluding to elicit exercise for which it doesn’t. Nevertheless, I don’t thoughts that gays consider the track as their anthem.
However you’d be hard-pressed to search out Y.M.C.A. on the play listing at any homosexual membership, parade or different homosexual exercise in a method that might recommend it’s by some means an anthem to the group aside from alluding to illicit exercise, which is defamatory, and damaging to the track. Nevertheless it stops in 2025.
Nevertheless, you understand the place you-will discover Y.M.C.A.? On the play listing of virtually each marriage ceremony, bar mitzvah, sporting group, and the track is utilized in commercials and movement photos and merchandise worldwide.
The true anthem is Y.M.C.A.’s attraction to individuals of all strips together with President Elect Trump. However the track isn’t actually a homosexual anthem aside from sure individuals falsely suggesting that it’s. And this should cease as a result of it’s damaging to the track.
