‘The 1975’: Healy protested the laws by kissing his male batchmate, Ross MacDonald, on stage at one time.
The 1975’s Matty Healy has fired back at Malaysian officials since the nation banned the group after Healy kissed his male bandmate in front of a concert.
In a now-deleted Instagram Story from Saturday, Healy mocked the country’s ruling by publishing a slew of photographs of himself and Ross MacDonald.
“Ok well why don’t you try and not make out for Ross for 20 years,” read the caption. “Not as easy as it looks.”
Healy followed the joke with an image of a hat perched over a map of Malaysia.
Meanwhile, a source told PageSix on Sunday that “Matty has a long-time record of advocating for the LGBTQ+ community.”
“The band wanted to stand up for their LGBTQ+ fans and community.”
The dig comes as the outspoken lead singer of the British pop-rock band took the stage Friday at the Good Vibes Festival in the Asian nation’s capital, Kuala Lumpur.
Healy, who is known for being outspoken and even controversial, used the chance to criticize the country’s anti-LGBTQ+ policies.
“I made a mistake. When we were booking shows, I wasn’t looking into it,” Healy admitted to his fans.“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.”
Healy went on to explain why he and the band chose to continue with the performance – before going in to kiss MacDonald.
“I’m sure a lot of you are gay and progressive and cool. 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,’” he recalled.
“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.”
The three-day music event issued its own statement on social media on Saturday, explaining the “immediate cancellation directive” from Malaysia’s Ministry of Communications and Digital.
“The Ministry has underlined its unwavering stance against any parties that challenge, ridicule, or contravene Malaysian laws,” the statement, which called out Healy’s “controversial conduct and remarks,” read in part.
“We sincerely apologize to all our ticket holders, vendors, sponsors, and partners. We are aware of the time, energy, and efforts you have put into making this festival a success, and we value your steadfast support.”
The remainder of The 1975‘s Asia Tour, which included a visit to Jakarta, Indonesia’s We the Fest on Sunday, and another gig in Taipei, Taiwan, has been canceled due to the ban.
The band will return to the stage next month for a headline concert at Lollapalooza in Chicago, followed by festival appearances at Outside Lands in San Francisco, Life Is Beautiful in Las Vegas, and Music Midtown in Atlanta.