USA: Before Trump’s swearing in: “YMCA” echoes through Washington

The Republican is already being celebrated in Washington on the weekend before the inauguration of the future US President Donald Trump. Despite the cold, wet winter weather, the streets of the capital are filled with Trump supporters; They wear red caps with his slogan “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) or are outfitted in other Trump aesthetics. And on many corners one song is played particularly often: the disco hit “YMCA” by the Village People.

The band itself will perform several times on the sidelines of the swearing-in – including on the eve of the swearing-in, at an event organized by the right-wing conservative organization Turning Point Action, which supported Trump in the election campaign.

Lead singer Victor Willis defended this on Facebook to critical fans: “We know some of you won’t like hearing this, but we believe that music should be played without reference to politics,” he wrote. The song is intended to help unite the country after a turbulent election campaign.

Ambivalent relationship with Trump

The Village People, who no longer perform in their original line-up, have an ambivalent relationship with Trump: During his election campaign, the Republican used their world-famous disco hit “YMCA” and the song “Macho Man” (both from 1978) at almost every event as a mood maker.

Initially, the band expressed their displeasure that their songs were being played without permission and in a political context. But later they accepted it without further criticism.

Unofficial LGBTQ+ anthem

Few songs connect as many people as the 1970s classic – the catchy chorus and accompanying arm movements that draw the letters “YMCA” in the air are a dance that almost everyone knows.

The song is also considered an unofficial anthem of the LGBTQ+ community. The lyrics, which describe life around the Young Men’s Christian Association (“YMCA”), were interpreted by many as a subtle reference to safe spaces for gay men – a topic that was still highly taboo at the time of the song’s release in 1978 was.

Lead singer Willis has rejected this interpretation in the past, but the symbolic power endures. The fact that the song is now associated with the Republican Trump seems paradoxical to many: his party often takes positions that restrict LGBTQ+ rights and, among other things, campaigns massively against the rights of trans people.