In 1978, Village People, a dis band of six men liberately stylized as sexy macho gay characters, released s album Cis’. The album featured “YMCA,” an upbeat dis track praisg the Young Men’s Christian Associatn’s (YMCA) muny centers as a great place for physil recreatn and temporary lodgg. But what is the meang of the…
Contents:
- THE REAL STORY OF THE YMCA THAT INSPIRED THE VILLAGE PEOPLE'S GAY ANTHEM
- IS Y.M.C.A. REALLY A GAY SONG? THE MEANG OF THE LYRICS
- HAPPY PRIDE! HOW “Y.M.C.A.” BEME A GAY ANTHEM!
- IS ACTUALLY GAY? HERE’S THE TE MEANG OF THE SONG “YMCA”
THE REAL STORY OF THE YMCA THAT INSPIRED THE VILLAGE PEOPLE'S GAY ANTHEM
In the 40 years sce the Village People released “YMCA, ” the song has bee a cultural touchstone: a gay anthem famo for s nuendos and double entendr about young, f men “havg a good time, ” as well as a staple at Yanke gam and bar song has also immortalized the Young Men's Christian Associatn pop culture.
IS Y.M.C.A. REALLY A GAY SONG? THE MEANG OF THE LYRICS
Yet former rints of the McBurney Y Chelsea — the buildg that spired the song, and which was featured the vio released late 1978 — say the realy of stays at the YMCA those days was more plited than the lyrics portray, wh gay culture and workg-class workouts existg a sgle munal space.
HAPPY PRIDE! HOW “Y.M.C.A.” BEME A GAY ANTHEM!
“There was certaly a party aspect to their vio and that time was the height of all the gay clubs Chelsea, ” rells Davidson Garrett, who lived at the McBurney Y om 1978 through 2000.
“[The YMCA] did have some overlappg of gay cisg. Garrett adds unrgraduate stunts and disabled men to the mix of ethnilly and racially diverse renters, about half of whom he timat were gay.
Often gay and their 20s or 30s, the weekend guts ed the YMCA “as a drsg room, ” and as a place to discreetly hook up, Garrett says.
IS ACTUALLY GAY? HERE’S THE TE MEANG OF THE SONG “YMCA”
Meanwhile, hoekeepers me not jt to offer towels and change your sheets, but to keep an eye on you, Kangappadan of the song’s charm, of urse, is s petg terpretatns: It n be read equally well as a celebratn of gay culture or of the workg man. And as a Sp oral history revealed on the song's 30th anniversary ten years ago, even the group self didn't agree on the proper Hodo (“the nstctn worker”) sisted to Sp that Jacqu Morali, the French producer who helped create the group and -wrote the song wh lead sger Victor Willis (“the p”), certaly had the gay muny md when he me up wh the song.