The 1975 sued by Malaysian government over onstage gay kiss at music festival

Organizers of a music festival in Malaysia are suing The 1975 after frontman Matty Healey kissed his bandmate Ross MacDonald, breaking the country’s strict anti-LGBTQ+ laws.

When the band performed at Good Vibes Festival in Kuala Lumpur last July, Healey condemned the country’s harsh anti-LGBTQ+ laws. Healey, swigging from a champagne bottle, said that he “made a mistake” in booking the show because “I do not see the point of inviting The 1975 to a country and then telling us who we can have sex with.”

Related:

When Kamala Harris stood up for LGBTQ+ lives… right in front of the president of Ghana

It would’ve been easy for Vice President Harris to duck the question… but she took a stand anyway.

“I’m sorry if that offends you, and you’re religious. I don’t care anymore. If you push, I’m gonna push back. I’m not in the f**king mood.”

Global perspectives delivered right to your inbox

Our newsletter bridges borders to bring you LGBTQ+ news from around the world.

Daily

Weekly

Good News

He then gestured to MacDonald, the band’s bassist, and the two men shared a long kiss on stage, to the cheers of the audience.

The fallout was swift and strong: the show was cut short, with Healey telling the audience, “Alright, we just got banned from Kuala Lumpur, see you later.” The remainder of the festival was canceled, the band canceled their shows in Taipei and Jakarta, and the Malaysian government required a “kill switch” for future concerts.

Now the consequences may become legal. Each band member has been individually named in a lawsuit by the festival’s organizers. They are seeking damages of $2.4 million to pay for the cancellation of the concert.

In Malaysia, engaging in homosexual acts can result in a prison sentence of up to 20 years. There are no legal protections for LGBTQ+ individuals against discrimination or hate crimes, and conversion therapy is common. According to the Global Trans Rights Index, Malaysia ranked as the second-worst country in the world for trans rights.

Organizers of the festival said that Healey and his bandmates were aware of the restrictions, which included “swearing, smoking, drinking alcohol, removing their clothes, mentioning politics and religion and rules which forbid kissing, kissing a member of the audience or carrying out such actions among themselves.”

David Mathew, a lawyer for event organizer Future Sound Asia, said that the claim against The 1975 is essentially for breach of contract.

“They entered into a binding contract with Future Sound Asia to perform and the position of Future Sound Asia, among others, is that this contractual obligation was breached. Further, Mr Healy’s representative categorically provided a pre-show written assurance that Mr Healy and The 1975’s live performance ‘shall adhere to all local guidelines and regulations’ during their set in Malaysia.”

“Their actions have had repercussions on local artists and small businesses, who relied on the festival for creative opportunities and their livelihoods. Future Sound Asia wishes to move forward in a way that will give the Malaysian community affected some closure,” Mathew said.

Following the incident, Healey received criticism for being performative and acting as a “white savior,” including in an essay in The Guardian which said that “Healey flies into a country, makes a clumsy provocation, leaves damage in his wake – then posts memes poking fun at the cancellation and at Malaysia from behind the safety of his phone screen.”

Band members have to file their defense by September 19, Mathew said.

Don't forget to share: