Matty Healy is not backing down.
The 1975 frontman continued to mock Malaysia over the weekend after officials banned his English pop rock band from performing in their country, where same-sex activity is illegal.
Officials made the call after Healy went on an expletive-filled rant about Malaysia’s anti-LGBTQIA+ laws during The 1975’s set at the Good Vibes Festival in Kuala Lumpur Friday.
At one point, Healy protested the laws by kissing his male bassist, Ross MacDonald, on stage.
“Ok well why don’t you try and not make out with Ross for 20 years. Not as easy at it looks,” Healy, 34, joked via his Instagram Stories Saturday, as news of the public ban went viral.
The “Chocolate” singer, who was most recently linked to Taylor Swift, then posted a series of pics showcasing his close friendship with MacDonald, also 34, over the years.
Healy also posted a since-deleted video of a speech from author Christopher Hitchens, in which the speaker exclaimed, “Homosexuality is not just a form of sex – it’s a form of love.”
Other posts on his Stories featured a black hat superimposed on a map of Malaysia, along with a screenshot of his name trending on Twitter.
“Matty has a long-time record of advocating for the LGBTQ+ community,” a source told Pvnew Sunday. “The band wanted to stand up for their LGBTQ+ fans and community.”
Pvnew has reached out to reps for Healy and The 1975 for additional comment.
As previously reported, the Good Vibes Festival – which was scheduled to run the rest of the weekend with The Kid LAROI, The Strokes, Ty Dolla $ign and more – was abruptly canceled following Healy’s rant and same-sex kiss.
“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,” the musician told the crowd.
“I’m sorry if that offends you and you’re religious … but your government are a bunch of f–king r–s. I don’t care anymore. If you push, I’m gonna push back. I’m not in the f–king mood.”
Healy continued on, explaining why he and the band still decided to go through with the performance – before going in to plant a kiss on 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 festival released a statement of their own via social media 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 apologise 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.”
Amid the ban, the remainder of The 1975’s Asia Tour – which included stops at Jakarta, Indonesia’s We the Fest on Sunday and another show in Taipei, Taiwan – has been canceled.
The band will return to the stage next month for their headlining set at Lollapalooza in Chicago, followed by festival gigs including San Francisco’s Outside Lands, Las Vegas’ Life Is Beautiful and Atlanta’s Music Midtown.
