‘Matty Healy did not disrespect my culture’: A queer Malaysian’s take on The 1975’s gay kiss

Since Matty Healy, frontman of The 1975, kissed his bandmate on stage in my home country, I kept seeing the same sorts of comments on social media.

‘’When you visit someone’s home, respect the owner,” they say. “Follow the house rules. Don’t treat it like your own.’’

Homosexuality is illegal in Malaysia. Healy was aware, yet chose to disobey this important house rule. The three-day Good Vibes Festival, where the kiss took place, was promptly cancelled. 

The dominant voices say Healy is ‘’an entitled white saviour’’ who disrespected our culture. This does not reflect the nuances of the topic, or the diversity of thought within the Malaysian community. 

I’m an LGBTQ+ Malaysian poet with alternative thoughts on the controversy. While I agree that he didn’t pick the ideal time and place for activism – I don’t believe he disrespected anyone. 

Imagine being invited to a new friend’s home. You walk in and discover – to your horror – that LGBTQ+ residents are whipped and locked in the basement. The home owner says these are the house rules, and you, as an outsider, must respect them.

“Imagine being invited to a friend’s home. You walk in and discover – to your horror – that LGBTQ+ residents are being whipped and locked in the basement”

This isn’t dystopian fiction. This is our lives. Homosexuality carries a 20-year jail sentence in Malaysia. Can anyone really respect that?

Healy may have been drunk when he ranted about the Kuala Lumpur regime. But under his sloppy, explicit-laden prose, lay a hint of truth.

Regardless of whether you liked his delivery, the message was clear. Malaysia’s treatment of LGBTQ+ people is a human rights violation.

Let’s not disguise homophobia as ‘Malaysian culture.’ Culture is food, clothing, art. Culture does not tell people who they can and cannot love.

I’m going to conclude by addressing all of the affected groups. To the festival-goers: this is a huge blow to the Malaysian music scene. But not getting to see the Strokes is trivial, compared to what queer people go through every day.

If you’re not queer, this may be your first taste of persecution. And it hurts, doesn’t it?

This is what it’s like to live as a queer Malaysian. The banning of our spaces is not only frequent – it’s expected.

“It’s unfair that innocent people shoulder the biggest consequences”

Remember, Matty Healy didn’t cancel the Good Vibes Festival. The government did.

To the vendors and local acts: it’s unfair that innocent people shoulder the biggest consequences. The vendors and local artists did not deserve this. Economic losses on this scale are devastating for little players. But blame should be put where blame is deserved.

To the queer Malaysian community: I am sorry Matty Healy spoke on our behalf.

I know the extremists may use this as ammunition to further anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments. These fears are valid. But our government would use anything to deprive queer people of basic rights. Malaysia’s queer community would be under attack, with or without that same-sex kiss.

Healy’s actions may have sparked backlash, but what act of social justice struggle hasn’t? Pushback often occurs before the eventual triumph.

Nevertheless, I am sorry that it feels like Matty Healy barged in and tread on what little space we have. I hope one day, we’ll have the tools to build a new, safer home.

To the world: I hope this whole mess gives you a peek into my country.

Matty Healy may have been a reckless visitor, leaving chaos in his path. But he did some good too. He pulled open the blinds, and showed the world that our house is really not okay.

Suri Chan is a prize-winning, internationally recognised Malaysian poet whose debut book will be released in 2024. Follow Suri on Instagram at @poemsbysuri.