Matty Healy and The 1975 have been banned from Malaysia, canceled shows in Indonesia and Taiwan, over same sex kiss

Matt Healy, frontman of rock band The 1975, is known for smacking kissers on people during his concerts. Sometimes it’s a fan holding a sign, begging for her first kiss, other times, it’s the security guard. Honestly, search social media for all the times Healy has locked lips while rocking out. It’s a whole vibe.

But now, Healy’s smooching has caused an uproar in the Muslim country Malaysia, where the frontman and bassist Ross MacDonald locked lips on stage in protest of the country’s strict anti-LGBTQ laws. That caused their set during the Good Vibes festival to be cut short by authorities, and they have since been banned from the country.

On Saturday in Kuala Lumpur, Healy and MacDonald’s kiss was met with swift action from the Malaysian government, where homosexuality is criminalized and punishable by 20 years in prison.  "There will be no compromise against any party that challenges, disparages, and violates Malaysian laws," communications minister Fahmi Fadzil announced on social media. The Good Vibes festival, which was supposed to run until Sunday, was thusly fully canceled and all remaining acts axed.

Healy and MacDonald’s kiss came after the frontman told the audience his true intentions, and his passionate rant on stage included showing his support for the suppressed LGBTQ+ community in the country.

“I made a mistake. When we were booking shows, I wasn't looking into it. I don't see the f***ing point, right? I don’t see the f***ing point of inviting The 1975 to a country and then telling us who we can have sex with,” Healy said. “Unfortunately you don’t get a set of loads of uplifting songs because I’m f***ing furious.”

"It's ridiculous, f***ing ridiculous, to tell people what they can do with that and that," he added, gesturing to his crotch and mouth. "If you want to invite me here to do a show, you can f***off. I'll take your money. You can ban me, but I've done this before, and it doesn't feel good."

“And that’s not fair on you, because you’re not representative of your government. Because you’re young people, and I’m sure a lot of you are gay and progressive and cool.”

He continued, "I'm sorry if that offends you, and you're religious, and it's part of your f***ing government... I don't care anymore. If you push, I'm gonna push back. I'm not in the f***ing mood."

After the two British men snogged, they played the song “I Like America & America Likes Me.” Thirty minutes later, the government shut down their set with Healy announcing, “All right, we just got banned from Kuala Lumpur, see you later.”

Good Vibes fest was forced to release a statement on social media about the incident, explaining why the rest of the fest was axed.

In a separate statement to the media, the fest asserted, “Prior to the festival, The 1975 management team reassured us that Healy and the band would adhere to local performance guidelines. Regrettably, Healy did not honor these assurances, despite our trust in their commitment. Healy's actions took us by complete surprise, and we halted the show as promptly as feasible following the incident."

Since this incident, the band has also canceled concerts in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Taipei, Taiwan, although no explicit reason was given.

This isn’t the first time Healy has kissed a man in a country where homosexuality is criminalized. In 2019, he kissed a male fan in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in protest of the law. Later, he tweeted, “I don't think we'll be allowed back due to my 'behaviour' but know that I love you and I wouldn't have done anything differently given the chance again." Healy has since deactivated his Twitter account.

Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, a source close to the situation said,"Matty has a longtime record of advocating for the LGBTQ+ community, and the band wanted to stand up for their LGBTQ+ fans and the community."

However, not all LGBTQ+ advocates in Malaysia are feeling his actions.

Many feel that his actions will result in further persecution and crackdowns in the country against the community, and other arts festivals or creative modes of expression will be repressed in the wake of his actions.