Malaysian authorities canceled a music festival after the lead singer of the British band "The 1975," Matty Healy, criticized the country's anti-LGBTQ laws and kissed a bandmate on stage in front of the audience, according to CNN. The incident occurred during the "Good Vibes" festival in Kuala Lumpur on Friday night and prompted the Malaysian Ministry of Communications to scrap the remainder of the festival, which was scheduled to last three days.
Homosexual acts are illegal in Malaysia, punishable by fines and imprisonment for up to 20 years. In a sharp statement during the band's performance, Healy said, "I don’t see a reason to invite The 1975 to a country and then tell us who we can and can’t have sex with." He added, "Unfortunately, you didn’t get a bunch of great songs because I’m so fucking angry, even though that's unfair to you because you don’t represent your government. You’re young people, and I’m sure a lot of you are gay." He mentioned that the band considered canceling the show but decided that it would be disappointing for their audience, adding, "If you want to invite me here to do a show, you can stop it, ban me, and I’ll take your money, but I’ve done that before and I’m not satisfied."
Following the incident, festival management announced the cancellation of the remaining schedule "planned for today and tomorrow, due to the controversial behavior and comments made by British artist Matty Healy." Healy's behavior sparked significant debate on social media. Members of the LGBTQ community criticized his actions, with some calling them "performative," warning that they could lead to further discrimination, according to CNN.
