Donald Trump plays his favorite Village People song, "YMCA", dubbed a gay anthem, to end speech in Saudi Arabia, where homosexuality is punishable by death
Donald Trump played the Village People's "YMCA", long considered a gay anthem, as his closing song during a Saudi Arabia speech.
However, many people found the choice surprising, given the song's ties to LGBTQ+ culture and Saudi Arabia's harsh stance on homosexuality, which is still punishable by death.
Why did Donald Trump play 'YMCA' in Saudi Arabia?
Donald Trump's three-nation Middle East tour, funded by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, included a lengthy speech in Riyadh.
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President Trump wrapped up his Saudi Arabia speech with 'YMCA' by the Village People. The situation raised eyebrows, given Saudi Arabia's strict anti-LGBTQ+ laws and ongoing censorship, as per a report by Pink News.
Village People's well-known gay anthem, "YMCA," has become Trump's rally favourite. The song became a staple at Trump rallies during his campaign trail, before he was re-elected in November 2024.
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This was a strange contrast to the Trump administration's depressing position on LGBTQ+ rights.
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Given that co-writer Jacques Morali and original band members Felipe Rose and Randy Jones were gay, the disco song from the 1970s is well-known as a gay anthem. It gained popularity in the LGBTQ+ nightclub scene and is still played at Pride events today.
It's also commonly assumed that the song's lyrics allude to gay cruising, and the name Village People itself alludes to Greenwich Village in Manhattan, which is known as a "gayborhood."
What are Saudi Arabia's LGBTQ+ laws?
According to the gay community, the song is against Saudi Arabia's views on homosexuality, is against the law, and is punishable by death.
Sharia Law forbids what it refers to as "cross-dressing," which makes being transgender illegal and LGBTQ+ topics censored.
Heterosexual lead singer Victor Willis has previously denied the song's connection to the LGBTQ+ community.
Is 'YMCA' really a gay anthem?
In a December Facebook post, he stated that his wife, the band's manager, would "sue" any news outlet that calls the song a gay anthem. Such presumptions, according to Willis, are "damaging to the song," and people ought to "get their minds out of the gutter,' as quoted in a report by Pink News.
In the post, he stated, "There has been a lot of talk, especially lately, that YMCA is somehow a gay anthem."
'That is an incorrect assumption, as he has stated many times before, because his writing partner was gay, some (but not all) of the Village People were gay, and the first Village People album was entirely about gay life,' as per a report.
The group received harsh criticism from the LGBTQ+ community for their performance at Trump's inauguration in January.
They claimed that their music would bring the nation together following a turbulent and divided campaign and that music should be performed regardless of politics.
The group's decision to perform at the event has drawn criticism from some social media users, while others have expressed shame and said they will be discarding all of their music.
FAQs
Why was Donald Trump's choice of the "YMCA" controversial in Saudi Arabia?
The song is well-known as a gay anthem, despite the fact that homosexuality is punishable by death in Saudi Arabia.
Did the Village People address the song's LGBTQ+ references?
Despite its LGBTQ+ fanbase and origins, lead singer Victor Willis insists that the song is not about gay culture.
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