‘YMCA’ Writer Ready to Sue Every Media Outlet in America Over Lies About Trump, Song
Victor Willis, the co-writer and lead singer of the Village People, announced plans to sue news organizations that label the song “Y.M.C.A.” as a “gay anthem.” since its rise to popularity, partly due to its use by President-elect Donald Trump at rallies, Willis has emphasized that the song was not intended to convey such a message. He explained that while some band members were gay and the lyrics reflect the social environment of the 1970s, the song itself was not written with that context in mind. Willis insists that the lyrics simply describe the YMCA’s appeal for young men and do not allude to any illicit activities. He criticized the notion that the song is a gay anthem as defamatory and damaging, and stated that his legal action will begin in January 2025. Despite initial opposition to Trump’s use of the song, he acknowledges that it has gained popularity through these events and thanks the President for contributing to its resurgence. Ultimately, Willis asserts that “Y.M.C.A.” is an inclusive song enjoyed by many, and he wants to correct the narrative surrounding it.
“Y.M.C.A.” singer and co-writer Victor Willis of the band Village People announced Monday that starting Jan. 1, he will begin suing every news organization that refers to the song as a “gay anthem.”
The 1978 disco song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart last month, fueled by President-elect Donald Trump’s use of it at his campaign rallies and his subsequent victory on Nov. 5.
In a Monday post, Willis wrote, “There’s been a lot of talk, especially of late, that Y.M.C.A. is somehow a gay anthem. As I’ve said numerous times in the past, that 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 the first Village People album was totally about gay life.”
“Sadly, when the President Elect started using the song, people attempting to brand the song as a gay anthem reached a fever pitch as many used it to say, oh, Trump don’t know the song is a gay anthem? This was done in a manner to attempt to shame the President Elect’s use of the song,” he added.
Willis, who pointed out he is not gay, noted that he penned 100 percent of the lyrics for the song, while the late French music producer Jacques Morali wrote the music.
Victor Willis, the singer behind YMCA, has released a message thanking President Trump for dancing to his song. He said the song has “benefited greatly” from Trump’s use.
Willis also reiterated that the song is not a gay anthem and may sue news outlets calling it gay.
“Sadly,… pic.twitter.com/Yx5QFmJIyw
— George (@BehizyTweets) December 3, 2024
The lyrics were based on what Willis knew about the YMCA facilities in urban areas at the time. They provided access to “swimming, basketball, track, and cheap food and cheap rooms.”
YMCA actually stands for Young Men’s Christian Association. The organization was founded in London, England, in 1844 and first came to U.S. shores in Boston in 1851.
According to the YMCA website, “The Y has grown exponentially over the span of our rich history, but our mission of putting Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all has remained constant.”
Willis pointed out that when he wrote the lyrics “hang out with all the boys” that was “simply 1970s black slang for black guys hanging out together for sports, gambling or whatever. There’s nothing gay about that.” To suggest otherwise is “defamatory,” he said.
“As I stated on numerous occasions, I knew nothing about the Y being a hang out for gays when I wrote the lyrics to Y.M.C.A. and Jacques Morali (who was gay) never once stated such to me. In fact, Jacques never once told me how to write my lyrics otherwise I would have said to him, you don’t need me, why don’t you simply write the lyrics,” Willis recounted.
“So, to the extent that Y.M.C.A. is considered a gay anthem based on the fact that gays once used certain YMCA’s for [illicit] activity, the assumption that the song alludes to that is completely misguided,” Willis said.
He observed that one would be hard-pressed to find “Y.M.C.A.” on a playlist at a gay club or event in a way that suggests it’s some sort of anthem to the community, while it is played widely at weddings, sports events, bar mitzvahs and other events.
“Therefore, since I wrote the lyrics and ought to know what the lyrics I wrote is really about, come January 2025, my wife[[Karen Willis, who is the manager of the Village People]will start suing each and every news organization that falsely refers to Y.M.C.A., either in their headlines or alluded to in the base of the story, that Y.M.C.A. is somehow a gay anthem because such notion is based solely on the song’s lyrics alluding to [illicit] activity for which it does not,” Willis wrote.
In his post, the singer also d how he had a change of heart after at one point opposing Trump using the song at his rallies. Many people had complained to Willis about the Republican candidate playing the song, but he could tell that Trump seemed to genuinely enjoy it.
The Trump dance he did to the disco tune became a social media phenomenon this fall.
Trump’s YMCA dance becomes global phenomenon. 🪩🕺🏼
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) November 19, 2024
Willis concluded his post, “The true anthem is Y.M.C.A.’s appeal to people of all [stripes] including President Elect Trump. But the song is not really a gay anthem other than certain people falsely suggesting that it is. And this must stop because it is damaging to the song.”
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