The 1975’s frontman, in his misplaced, drunken attempt at performative wokeness, may have done more harm than good for the LGBT community here. If anything, he has only succeeded in radicalising hyper-religious groups further with his stunt, which he would have forgotten about as soon as he hopped on the plane.
His points have merit, but the way he made them reeks of Western superiority and privilege. Malaysia’s approach to LGBT issues is prehistoric, you’ll hear no argument from me to the contrary, but finding a solution is a years-long pursuit that requires an understanding of the local context and the lived experiences of the country’s queer folks – neither of which Matty Healy has.
He will get to jet away from all the mess he has caused, of course, leaving behind a queer community more isolated and targeted than before he came.
His stunt will only strengthen the resolve of those against LGBT rights and gives the likes of PAS ample ammo to attack the government, most likely to budge from issues affecting the community.
In essence, his ham-fisted attempt at promoting acceptance and inclusivity will only drive groups that are already at odds further apart.
It’s the classic “white saviour complex” hard at work. Here’s a white man, with zero understanding of Malaysia, inserting his “wisdom” into a conversation he has no stake in, with no regard for the consequences.
His use of an offensive slur for disabled people to describe our politicians is also a bit rich coming from somebody whose own country voted to back Brexit and Liz Truss, decisions which have plunged the UK into an economic crisis that it still has not escaped.
But that is clearly lost on Healy, a very rich musician who gets to spend most of his time in a celebrity bubble detached from the problems normal people face.
Similarly, let’s not forget that it was only this year that he hopped onto a since-deleted podcast and laughed along to racist jokes about rapper Ice Spice, encouraged the mockery of Japanese people in concentration camps and brushed off assertions that anyone might get offended.
The way Malaysia treats the LGBT community needs thorough and immediate reform. It is a shame that improvements have now only been pushed further away.
This government has tried to position itself as one more open to Western ideas and traditions, with prime minister Anwar Ibrahim’s occasional use of French a stark contrast to his predecessors’ insistence that Malay be the official language of Southeast Asia.
However, it must now implicitly oppose Healy’s pro-LGBT comments by speaking out against him. What choice does the government have? It cannot simply allow itself to be publicly insulted weeks before state elections arrive.
It puts Pakatan Harapan (PH) in a precarious position, too. By punishing Healy, it risks alienating urban fans in Selangor. Healy’s outburst was big-picture-bad, but his vocal allyship has long been a big part of his appeal for many.
With the coalition already at risk of losing ground to Perikatan Nasional (PN) this only increases the likelihood that PH voters might stay at home come polling time. And if GE15 insights are anything to go by, PN is only getting better at mobilising their voters on election day.
Which is all to say that Matty Healy may have done a whole lot of damage all because he had one bottle of champagne too many. And the injustice of it all is that he’ll never know.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.