Matty Healy Mocks Malaysian Government's Ban On The 1975 After Kissing Male Bandmate On Stage

English pop rock band, The 1975 was banned from performing in Malaysia after lead singer Matty Healy kissed a male bandmate onstage, defying the country's strict anti-LGBTQ+ laws. 

During the band's show, Healy expressed frustration, declaring that he wouldn't be silenced and that the government's actions were oppressive. The Good Vibes Festival issued an apology for canceling the event due to the "controversial conduct and remarks." 

Healy, who recently had a fling with singer, Taylor Swift, responded to the government's ban with a comment making light of the situation.

Keep on reading to learn more.

British pop rock band, The 1975, recently faced an unexpected setback in their world tour when they found themselves banned from performing in Malaysia. The reason behind this shocking decision was rooted in an incident that occurred during a previous concert in the conservative nation's capital, Kuala Lumpur.

During their performance at the Good Vibes Festival, the band's lead singer, Matty Healy, boldly defied Malaysia's strict anti-LGBTQIA+ laws by sharing a passionate kiss with a male bandmate onstage.

Prior to the kiss, Healy gave an impassioned speech, admitting to not researching the country's policies beforehand. 

He said, "I made a mistake. When we were booking shows, I wasn't looking into it. I don't see the f**king point … of inviting The 1975 to a country and then telling us who we can have sex with." 

"I'm sorry if that offends you, and you're religious … but your government is a bunch of f**king r****ds. I don't care anymore. If you push, I'm gonna push back. I'm not in the f**king mood," he added. 

With a bottle of wine in hand, Healy continued to address the audience, admitting that he was torn between canceling the concert and standing in solidarity with his fans while acknowledging their progressive and open-minded nature. "I'm sure a lot of you are gay and progressive and cool," he said as the crowd erupted into cheers of support.

The "I'm in Love With You" singer continued, "I pulled this show yesterday, and we had a conversation. We said, 'You know what? We can't let the kids down because they're not the government.'"

Unapologetic, the "About You" hitmaker added, "If you want to invite me here to do a show, you can f*ck off. I'll take your money, you can ban me, but I've done this before, and it doesn't feel good."

As a symbol of solidarity and defiance, Healy walked over to The 1975's bassist, Ross MacDonald, and planted a passionate kiss on him, demonstrating the band's unity and unwavering support for the LGBTQIA+ community. In the aftermath of this defiant display, Healy bid the crowd farewell, stating, "Alright, we gotta go. We just got banned from Kuala Lumpur, I'll see you later" before walking off stage. 

Amid a whirlwind of controversy, the Good Vibes Festival delivered a heartfelt apology to all ticket holders, vendors, sponsors, and partners as they announced the cancellation of Malaysia's highly anticipated three-day music event. The decision came in the wake of what they referred to as "controversial conduct and remarks" made by The 1975's frontman.

In response to the festival's statement, Healy took to his Instagram Stories offering a sarcastic remark, "Ok well why don't you try and not make out with Ross for 20 years? Not as easy as it looks."

This incident isn't the first time Healy openly challenged anti-LGBTQIA+ policies. In a daring move back in 2019, during a concert in Dubai, where homosexuality is also illegal, he fearlessly kissed a male fan. 

After the show, in a now-deleted tweet, he expressed gratitude to the Dubai audience, writing, "Thank you Dubai, you were so amazing." 

He continued, per Page Six, "I don't think we'll be allowed back due to my 'behavior' but know that I love you and I wouldn't have done anything differently given the chance again."

Healy's purported display of support for the LGBTQIA+ community in Malaysia sparked a heated debate online, with many accusing the singer of engaging in "performative activism" that could potentially exacerbate the challenges faced by the already marginalized community.

According to the Daily Mail, Carmen Rose, a Malaysian drag queen and performer, took to Twitter to voice her concerns, saying, "Matt Healy undoubtedly just made it worse for queer Malaysians who actually live here, and have to face the consequences because we all know our politicians are gonna use this to further their agenda."

Another Twitter user noted, "This is not a good thing pls, the gay community in here has [been] getting so much hate before this, and what did you expect after this performance the community will get more better [?], pls you guys make it more worst to be gay in this country."

A third user added, "This is insane 'cause he can just go back to the US or UK and live comfortably, but the local queer community will now have to suffer from potential repercussions."

"What about Malaysian queer who needs to face the consequences of 1975 actions while they [are] getting 'praise'? They really worsen the situation. Do they really think with kisses and provocation can solve something? Is that the only solution they can think [of]?" another concerned person asked on Twitter.