Malaysia's LGBTQ community criticizes the 1975's Matty Healy for 'white savior complex'
The British singer of The 1975, Matty Healy, has faced criticism from LGBTQ activists in Malaysia after kissing his bandmate on stage.
Matty Healy, the British singer of The 1975, thought he was making a statement of protest and solidarity when he kissed his bandmate Ross MacDonald on stage during their Malaysia concert on Friday, after a speech full of swear words denouncing the country's anti-LGBTQ laws.
But for many LGBTQ Malaysians, it was a gesture of disrespect and ignorance.
The 1975's concert, which was the main act in Kuala Lumpur's Good Vibes Festival, has triggered a backlash and disappointment from the community, who say Healy's act may have worsened the situation for a marginalized group already facing repression and discrimination in Malaysia's conservative, Muslim-majority society.
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Homosexual acts are illegal in Malaysia and can be punished by fines and up to 20 years in jail. After The 1975's show, the government canceled the rest of the three-day music festival, blaming Healy's "controversial conduct and remarks."
LGBTQ activists are worried that this could lead to a bigger crackdown – and they are also annoyed by the singer's lack of seriousness.
On Saturday, a day after the concert, Healy made fun of himself on Instagram, saying it's "not as easy as it looks" to avoid kissing MacDonald, and posted a picture of his name trending on Twitter, the platform recently renamed as X.
"What Matty Healy did, he thought he was doing something for us, but it's giving white savior complex," said Carmen Rose, a Malaysian drag performer.
"He thinks we need saving, he thinks we need fixing, when in reality we have queer organizations here already doing the work," she added.
