On August 28, 2022, the lead singer of the British band “The 1975 “, Matty Healy, kissed his male bandmate during a concert in Malaysia.
In Malaysia, homosexuality is a crime and is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Healy used obscene language while criticizing the government’s view against homosexuality in his speech before kissing the bassist, Ross Macdonald.
Foreign artists like “The 1975” need approval from an agency to perform outside of their native country. In Malaysia’s case, these foreign artists need approval from Puspal. Puspal said that they had banned “The 1975” from Malaysia, claiming that they were very disrespectful and insulted the country’s laws.
At first, people thought Healy’s actions were justified. As it turns out, he caused more harm than good. This was not Healy’s first instance of foreign misconduct. In 2019, Healy used the stage to defend LGBTQ rights, kissing a male fan during a concert in the United Arab Emirates, a country that also outlaws homosexual acts. People speculate his behavior is attention-seeking because he wouldn’t make a mess and then fly away if it was legitimate.
“They supported freedom of expression, and it was ‘fine’ for Healy to criticize the Malaysian government, the controversy had come at a bad time – and the musician’s ‘lack of awareness on the context’ had made matters worse.” (CNN) Although Healy’s actions don’t prove that you can’t protest against laws, it is important to do so in a responsible and sensible way.
In Malaysia, homosexuality is a crime and is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Healy used obscene language while criticizing the government’s view against homosexuality in his speech before kissing the bassist, Ross Macdonald.
Foreign artists like “The 1975” need approval from an agency to perform outside of their native country. In Malaysia’s case, these foreign artists need approval from Puspal. Puspal said that they had banned “The 1975” from Malaysia, claiming that they were very disrespectful and insulted the country’s laws.
At first, people thought Healy’s actions were justified. As it turns out, he caused more harm than good. This was not Healy’s first instance of foreign misconduct. In 2019, Healy used the stage to defend LGBTQ rights, kissing a male fan during a concert in the United Arab Emirates, a country that also outlaws homosexual acts. People speculate his behavior is attention-seeking because he wouldn’t make a mess and then fly away if it was legitimate.
“They supported freedom of expression, and it was ‘fine’ for Healy to criticize the Malaysian government, the controversy had come at a bad time – and the musician’s ‘lack of awareness on the context’ had made matters worse.” (CNN) Although Healy’s actions don’t prove that you can’t protest against laws, it is important to do so in a responsible and sensible way.