Matty Healy Responds Following Kissing Fiasco with Bandmate in Malaysia

The 1975's Matty Healy experienced the ire of politicians before, but his actions had severe repercussions this weekend. Matty Healy's rant about Malaysia's anti-LGBTQI+ laws, and locking lips with a bandmate, led to an event's cancellation.

On Friday night, Matty Healy went off on the Malaysian government for the criminalization of homosexuality. Later in their set at the Good Vibes Festival 2023 in Selangor, Malaysia, bass player Ross MacDonald pulls Healy into a kiss.

"Ok, well, why don't you try and not make out with Ross for 20 years? Not as easy as it looks," the 1975 lead singer reacted on Instagram Stories with a screenshot of the festival's cancellation.

The festival communicated via social media on Saturday that they had been issued an immediate directive to cancel the remaining two days of the event by the Ministry of Communications and Digital. The statement read:

"The Ministry has underlined its unwavering stance against any parties that challenge, ridicule, or contravene Malaysian laws."

Matty Healy also posted a meme of the map of Malaysia with a fedora hat, screenshots of the kiss with the bassist, and a selfie of them together on Stories. The singer has a history of controversial gestures.

Before their show in August 2019 in Dubai, the venue had given 1975 a strict code of conduct that included no "gay propaganda." Healy explained that he hugged a male fan holding a "Marry Me sign:"

"He said, 'Can I have a kiss?' and I was, like, 'Why not?'"

The band also had a "big gay pride flag" on stage at one point during the performance. Healy managed to get out of the United Arab Emirates that very night. In the UAE, any sex outside a heterosexual marriage is outlawed.

Matty Healy, who identifies as straight and has been linked romantically to Taylor Swift and FKA Twigs, is infamous for kissing fans during shows and making political statements.