The names of the artists who will participate in Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremonies have been circulating for several days.
Published at 5:00 a.m.
Carrie Underwood, winner of the show American Idolwill interpret America the Beautiful. Other guests include country singer Lee Greenwood, classical singer Christopher Macchio, as well as rappers Waka Flocka Flame and Fivio Foreign.
But the most surprising presence is undoubtedly that of the group Village People, who will probably perform their enormous success Y. M. C. A.a song that galvanized Donald Trump’s supporters during his rallies.
It is often to this song that the septuagenarian performed movements that have become famous, now called the “Trump Dance”. These gestures are now taken up by many athletes.
So, this global success, described for decades as a “gay anthem”, will be offered on Monday to those who brought Donald Trump to power. But what do they know about the origins of this song?
In 1977, the disco wave set the planet ablaze. Jacques Morali, a French songwriter living in the United States, and producer Henri Belolo had the idea of bringing together six male performers and giving them songs intended for nightclubs.
Auditions take place. We recruit Victor Willis as lead singer and five backing singers-dancers. According to countless sources, it was decided to call the group Village People in reference to Greenwich Village, the favorite neighborhood of New York homosexuals in the late 1970s.
Producers notice that gay bar owners ask their servers to wear costumes representing stereotypes that attract customers. Members of the group don the looks of a naval officer, an Aboriginal man, a soldier, a cowboy, a construction worker and a biker. These ultra-sexy outfits seem to be borrowed from the world of Tom of Finland, a famous designer known for his homoerotic drawings.
The song Y. M. C. A., which appears on the disc Cruisin’was launched in October 1978. The title originated in a movement created in the mid-19th century.e century in London, the Young Men’s Christian Association. Over time, YMCAs became places for young people to meet and exchange ideas.
On the surface, the song Y. M. C. A. pays homage to this movement. But some cannot help but do a second reading which allows them to see allusions to homosexual culture.
At the end of the 1970s, the gay community frequented these places because of the presence of sports facilities. And also because flirting is easy there.
It’s fun to go to the YMCA
It’s fun to go to the YMCA
They have everything for young men to have fun
You can hang out with all the boys
Village People, who have sold 100 million records worldwide, also enjoyed success with Go West (covered by the Pet Shop Boys) and male man. The training also launched In the Navya song that was to be used in a US Navy recruiting campaign.
Members of the group have long been evasive about the meaning of Y. M. C. A. But now Victor Willis, author of the lyrics and still active member of the group, has vehemently affirmed for several days that this song has no homosexual connotation.
On Facebook, he wrote that his wife, Karen Willis, the band’s agent, will sue media outlets that claim the song has ties to the gay community. This does not seem to have any effect, because for the past 48 hours, major American and European media have been presenting the song as a “gay anthem”.
PHOTO TAKEN FROM THE GROUP’S FACEBOOK PAGE
This photo of the Village People, with singer Victor Willis as a police officer, accompanied a Facebook post announcing the group’s presence at Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Check out the message from Village People
We specify that Victor Willis first refused to let Donald Trump use Y. M. C. A. during the 2020 campaign. But he changed his mind during the most recent one, even though he supported Kamala Harris. Discovering that the song had once again become very popular on streaming platforms and that the benefits should amount to “a few million dollars”, he agreed to participate in the inauguration ceremonies of the president-elect with his colleagues. He now wants this song to be detached from any political considerations.
This decision is not unanimous among Village People admirers. Many express their anger on social media – Carrie Underwood deserves the same treatment.
Following the election of Donald Trump, leaders of the LGBTQ+ community in the United States expressed their fears about their rights. The rise of intolerance linked to Republicans’ transphobic policies is creating uncertainty.
The LGBTQ+ community also fears that rules that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity at school, at work, in the army or in access to housing will be eliminated. .
PHOTO JON CHERRY, ARCHIVES THE NEW YORK TIMES
Donald Trump supporters dance to the song Y. M. C. A. during the Republican convention in Milwaukee in July 2024.
While waiting to see where it will all go, the 47e President of the United States and his admirers will dance and sing in chorus to Y. M. C. A. next Monday. They will do it out of ignorance, carelessness, or perhaps even arrogance.
They will do it because they live in their own world. And that allows them to see things their way. This is why Donald Trump was re-elected.
Young man, you have no reason to feel bad
I said, young man, get up
I said, young man, because you’re in a new city
There’s no reason to be sad
