The 1975 Faces Lawsuit Over Anti-LGBT Comments at Music Festival
The organisers of the Good Vibes Festival in Kuala Lumpur are taking legal action against British band The 1975 for breach of contract and damages after lead singer Matty Healy made controversial remarks about Malaysia’s anti-LGBT laws during their performance last July.
Healy’s profanity-laden speech and on-stage kiss with a band member led to the event being cancelled, prompting the festival organisers to seek £1.9m ($2.4m) in compensation in the UK’s High Court for violating performance rules.
Homosexual acts are illegal in Malaysia and punishable by 20 years in prison, and the festival strictly prohibits discussing politics and religion, swearing, smoking, or drinking alcohol on stage.
The lawsuit alleges that The 1975 intentionally breached the festival’s guidelines, with Healy’s provocative speech and embrace with a bandmate being cited as actions intended to cause offense and violate regulations. The band is also accused of smuggling a bottle of wine on stage, further flouting the rules.
Despite the backlash, Healy defended his actions, stating that the band had been invited to headline the festival by the government, which was aware of their political views and stage show. He argued that removing any part of their routine show to appease Malaysia’s anti-LGBT stance would be a passive endorsement of discriminatory politics.
In addition to the lawsuit from the festival organisers, The 1975 is facing a class action lawsuit from musicians and vendors who suffered financial losses due to the cancellation of the remaining days of the festival.
The band has yet to respond to the legal actions, but the controversy surrounding their performance in Malaysia continues to spark debate about freedom of expression and LGBTQ rights in the country.
