The 1975‘s show in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Friday, July 21, was cut short after frontman Matty Healy criticized the country’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws, Variety reports.
During the performance, Healy told the crowd, “I don’t see the f****** point … of inviting The 1975 to a country and then telling us who we can have sex with.”
“Unfortunately, you don’t get a set of loads of uplifting songs because I’m f******* furious,” he continued. “And that’s not fair on you, because you’re not representative of your government. You are young people, and I’m sure a lot of you are gay and progressive.”
Healy and bassist Ross MacDonald then kissed onstage before reportedly announcing that the band had to leave and had been “banned from Kuala Lumpur.”
Variety quotes a source close to The 1975 as saying, “Matty has a long-time record of advocating for the LGBTQ+ community, and the band wanted to stand up for their LGBTQ+ fans and community.”
Healy previously protested the United Arab Emirates’ anti-LGBTQ+ laws when he kissed a male fan during a 2019 show in Dubai.
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