Trump plays gay anthem to close speech in Saudi Arabia, where homosexuality is punishable by death
“YMCA” by Village People has become a staple at Trump’s rallies. (Getty)
"YMCA" by Village People has become a staple at Trump's rallies. (Getty)
US president Donald Trump closed his speech in Saudi Arabia, where homosexuality is punishable by death, by blasting the Village People’s iconic gay anthem “YMCA” – something which has become a staple track at his rallies.
As part of his three-country tour in the Middle East, hosted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Trump delivered a rambling speech Riyadh which closed with the “YMCA” playing as bin Salman came up to the stage to shake his hand.
The 1970s disco track is well-known as a gay anthem given the song’s co-writer Jacques Morali and original band members Felipe Rose and Randy Jones were gay, the track was popularised on the LGBTQ+ nightclub scene and continues to be played at Pride events today.
It is also widely believed the lyrics refer to gay cruising and Village People‘s name is itself a reference to Manhattan’s Greenwich Village – which has a reputation as being a “gayborhood”.
The song’s standing in the gay community stands at odds with Saudi Arabia‘s stance on homosexuality, is illegal and punishable by the death penalty. In addition, LGBTQ+ topics are censored and it is illegal to be trans because Sharia Law prohibits what it describes as “cross-dressing”.
During the Trump campaign trail, prior to his re-election in November 2024, the song became a commonplace feature at his rallies, something that also sat in bizarre contradiction with the Trump administration’s grim stance on LGBTQ+ rights.
The band’s lead singer Victor Willis, who is heterosexual, has previously denied the track had any links to the LGBTQ+ community and said in a Facebook post in December that his wife – who is the band’s manager – would “sue” any news organisation that refers to the song as a gay anthem.
Willis said such assumptions were “damaging to the song” and that people should get their “minds out of the gutter”.
“There’s been a lot of talk, especially of late, that YMCA. is somehow a gay anthem,” he said in the post.
“As I’ve said numerous times in the past, that is a false assumption based on the fact that my writing partner was gay, and some (not all) of Village People were gay, and that the first Village People album was totally about gay life.”
He continued: “When I say, ‘hang out with all the boys’ that is simply 1970s black slang for black guys hanging-out together for sports, gambling or whatever. There’s nothing gay about that.”
"YMCA" starts blaring after Trump wraps up his speech in Saudi Arabia pic.twitter.com/K1adM9b4h6
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 13, 2025
In January, the group performed at Trump’s inauguration to much criticism from the LGBTQ+ community.
They said they “believe that music is to be performed without regard to politics” and their music “would unite the country “after a tumultuous and divided campaign”.
“It’s so telling that you ripped off a bunch of these characters’ outfits from the queer community (especially the biker), then do this. You have really sold out,” one social media user wrote in response to their decision to play the event.
“I have no more respect [for] your group… I am ashamed and will be throwing away all your music,” another said.
