Jim Newman, a former member of Village People, made it clear in a 15 January Instagram post that he and his bandmates would not be performing at Trump’s rallies. Despite receiving multiple requests to appear on stage with the president, Newman stated that they would never give Trump the rights to use their songs. This decision came after Trump had been using their song as a campaign anthem since 2018.
Victor Willis, the original „cop“ member of Village People, had been fighting for years to secure the rights to the group’s name and the royalties he claimed were owed to him. Now, there are two versions of Village People: one playing for Trump with Willis, and another called Kings of Disco, featuring original members and new additions.
Despite the controversy surrounding the group’s involvement with Trump, Willis insisted that the song „YMCA“ was not a gay anthem and threatened to sue any news organization that portrayed it as such. However, many in the LGBTQ+ community argue that the song is indeed a gay anthem, regardless of Willis‘ claims.
Trump’s affinity for the song and his use of it at rallies have caused further division, especially as he continues to roll back LGBTQ+ protections. Willis eventually granted the Trump campaign rights to use the song, citing financial benefits as a motivating factor.
The controversy surrounding Village People’s involvement with Trump highlights the complexities of art, politics, and LGBTQ+ rights in today’s society.
„We must choose our battles wisely and not be swayed by things meant to provoke us. Let’s focus on addressing issues that will directly harm our community.“ Als die vertrauten Hörner loslegten und Synthesizer anfingen zu wirbeln, konnte man kaum die Gruppe erkennen, als Trump und seine Kumpels die Bühne überfluteten und die Sicht auf die Band von der Übertragung blockierten. Die YMCA an diesem Abend war von Klangproblemen geplagt, da der Hintergrundtrack ausfiel und nur Willis‘ instabile, keuchende Singstimme übrig blieb. Hinter ihnen wirbelte ein LED-Strudel in Maga-Rot, Weiß und Blau, als ob er sie einsaugen würde.