Village People Singer Denies "Y.M.C.A." Is a "Gay Anthem" As He Defends Trump's Use of Song (Consequence Sound)

[Wiz Imp]

10. The band's frontman claimed the hit dance song isn't gay, but his gay bandmates remember things differently.

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2023/04/is-it-actually-gay-heres-the-true-meaning-of-the-song-ymca/

-----(snip)-----
The catchy song quickly became a hit — arguably ranking it among the 100 greatest dance songs of all time. The gay community also quickly adopted it as an anthem, especially since the song proclaims that a “young man” can find “everything for you men to enjoy” and “many ways to have a good time” as they “hang out with all the boys.” Some gay men interpreted the lyrics as an allusion to cruising for sex at the YMCA’s facilities.

Despite his crankiness, he (Willis) has also said, “I’m happy the gay community adopted it as their anthem. I have no qualms with that.” But while Willis claims the song isn’t gay, some of his gay bandmates remember things differently. Randy Jones, who performed as Village People’s cowboy, told Spin magazine in 2008 that he helped inspire Morali to create the song by taking the producer to a New York City YMCA gym in the late 1970s and having him meet gay porn models who worked out there.

“[Morali] was fascinated by a place where a person could work out with weights, play basketball, swim, take classes, and get a room,” Jones said. “Plus, with Jacques being gay, I had a lot of friends I worked out with who were in the adult film industry, and he was impressed by meeting people he had seen in the videos and magazines. Those visits with me planted a seed in him, and that’s how he got the idea for ‘YMCA.'”

David Hodo, who performed as the band’s construction worker, told Spin, “‘YMCA’ certainly has a gay origin.” “I mean, look at us. We were a gay group,” he said, noting that his band’s music was often played in Black, Latin, and gay underground clubs. “Was the song written to celebrate gay men at the YMCA? Yes. Absolutely. And gay people love it.”

-----(snip)-----