I can see either or being the case. However it should be noted that the YMCA organization itself tried to distance from the song due to the way it was received at the time, so at the very least, they were completely tone-deaf in dropping a song that would be so easily perceived as a homo anthem. I could of course be putting the cart before the horse here.
From AI-
At the time, the YMCA was still largely perceived as a family-oriented and wholesome organization, and the song's connection to gay culture stirred some unease among conservative members of the organization. The lyrics and the music video, which depicted men having fun in a way that could be interpreted as flirtatious, led to concerns that the song could overshadow the organization's mission and values.
Some local YMCAs reportedly tried to distance themselves from the song, especially when it became a popular party anthem in gay clubs. The organization faced a dilemma: while the song contributed positively to visibility for the LGBTQ+ community, it also potentially conflicted with the YMCA's image as a family-friendly establishment.
Despite this tension, the song's catchy tune and widespread popularity ultimately made it a cultural phenomenon, and the YMCA came to embrace its association with the song over time, recognizing its role in promoting inclusion and diversity. The song remains a significant part of both the YMCA's history and LGBTQ+ culture.
This looks like a case of cultural imperialism, just like the transmogrification of the word "gay" to mean homosexual, when it originally meant innocently lighthearted. I decided years ago not to give in to this expropriation. I don't call people "gay," I call them homosexual. In so many cases, their lives are not "gay" at all, but sordid or sometimes even vicious. So, calling them "gay" (to my mind) is only so much excessive rouge. (And also a cover for pedophile tendencies. I've seen some of that: homosexual men declaring their membership in NAMBLA.)
Fair enough, but I don't know what I'd do without the expropriated term "faggot" 😂
It just hits so rightly. On your gay note I just learned something I find highly hilarious:
Apparently, the term gay was used by homosexuals in England after World War One. It was a code word homosexuals could use in general society and no one would think anything of it.
In America after World War Two gays used the term "friend of Dorothy". As late as Reagan's Presidency the military had a special investigation underway looking for the ring leader named "Dorothy" who ran a gay underground in the military...
This thread is full of interesting tidbits. Anyways, I'm leaning towards agreement with you, albeit for the pesky little facts about the Greenwich Village YMCA being a known homosexual hangout, the climate in Greenwich Village during the 70s in general, and the various members of the Village People claiming the song was a gay (homosexual) anthem and also several of them being homosexual themselves
There is an interesting background to the use of the word "fag" (which probably led into "faggot"). There is such a thing as the "fag end" of a hawser, or cable. It was the cut end that was bound to prevent unraveling. In British boy's schools, a boy that was a compulsive follower of another boy (dominance-submission relationship) was often called the leading boy's "fag", as he was the tail end, always following him around. And one thing led to another.
"Faggots" were originally bundles of burning sticks. Thus, "flaming faggot." But the only thought is that the connection somehow occurred in America, not Britain.
my understanding is it went something along the lines of long, thin sticks > bundles of same > poor widows who gathered said bundles to sell within cities (aka, "faggot bearers") > feminine men > homosexuals. Personally, I take it a step further and apply it to inconsiderate, attention hungry assholes of a particularly flashy nature, but YMMV.
Fun linguistic fact: all fascists are by definition faggots.
Ok, I did a google. 2017
https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/music/tours/village-people-founder-victor-willis-on-why-ymca-wasnt-a-gay-song/news-story/6a5c7a926bf8bb235d1bea9ceb0d6a92
compare with
https://gothamist.com/arts-entertainment/the-real-story-of-the-ymca-that-inspired-the-village-peoples-gay-anthem
I can see either or being the case. However it should be noted that the YMCA organization itself tried to distance from the song due to the way it was received at the time, so at the very least, they were completely tone-deaf in dropping a song that would be so easily perceived as a homo anthem. I could of course be putting the cart before the horse here.
From AI-
At the time, the YMCA was still largely perceived as a family-oriented and wholesome organization, and the song's connection to gay culture stirred some unease among conservative members of the organization. The lyrics and the music video, which depicted men having fun in a way that could be interpreted as flirtatious, led to concerns that the song could overshadow the organization's mission and values.
Some local YMCAs reportedly tried to distance themselves from the song, especially when it became a popular party anthem in gay clubs. The organization faced a dilemma: while the song contributed positively to visibility for the LGBTQ+ community, it also potentially conflicted with the YMCA's image as a family-friendly establishment.
Despite this tension, the song's catchy tune and widespread popularity ultimately made it a cultural phenomenon, and the YMCA came to embrace its association with the song over time, recognizing its role in promoting inclusion and diversity. The song remains a significant part of both the YMCA's history and LGBTQ+ culture.
This looks like a case of cultural imperialism, just like the transmogrification of the word "gay" to mean homosexual, when it originally meant innocently lighthearted. I decided years ago not to give in to this expropriation. I don't call people "gay," I call them homosexual. In so many cases, their lives are not "gay" at all, but sordid or sometimes even vicious. So, calling them "gay" (to my mind) is only so much excessive rouge. (And also a cover for pedophile tendencies. I've seen some of that: homosexual men declaring their membership in NAMBLA.)
Fair enough, but I don't know what I'd do without the expropriated term "faggot" 😂
It just hits so rightly. On your gay note I just learned something I find highly hilarious:
https://www.reddit.com/r/history/comments/3z55uj/when_did_the_word_gay_change_from_meaning_happy/
This thread is full of interesting tidbits. Anyways, I'm leaning towards agreement with you, albeit for the pesky little facts about the Greenwich Village YMCA being a known homosexual hangout, the climate in Greenwich Village during the 70s in general, and the various members of the Village People claiming the song was a gay (homosexual) anthem and also several of them being homosexual themselves
There is an interesting background to the use of the word "fag" (which probably led into "faggot"). There is such a thing as the "fag end" of a hawser, or cable. It was the cut end that was bound to prevent unraveling. In British boy's schools, a boy that was a compulsive follower of another boy (dominance-submission relationship) was often called the leading boy's "fag", as he was the tail end, always following him around. And one thing led to another.
"Faggots" were originally bundles of burning sticks. Thus, "flaming faggot." But the only thought is that the connection somehow occurred in America, not Britain.
my understanding is it went something along the lines of long, thin sticks > bundles of same > poor widows who gathered said bundles to sell within cities (aka, "faggot bearers") > feminine men > homosexuals. Personally, I take it a step further and apply it to inconsiderate, attention hungry assholes of a particularly flashy nature, but YMMV.
Fun linguistic fact: all fascists are by definition faggots.