The 1975 is being sued after Matty Healy's kiss of a bandmate shut down a music festival in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — The 1975 is being sued after Matty Healy’s kiss of a bandmate in an on-stage protest shut down a music festival last year in Malaysia.

Healy used profanities as he criticized Malaysia’s stance against homosexuality before kissing bassist Ross MacDonald during the band’s headline performance at the Good Vibes Festival in Kuala Lumpur. Homosexuality is a crime in Malaysia, punishable by up to 20 years in prison and caning.

The lawsuit from the festival organizer Future Sound Asia seeks 1.9 million pounds ($2.5 million) for breach of contract and losses. It filed the lawsuit against The 1975 Productions LLP and all four of the band members in the High Court in London on July 23, lawyer David Dinesh Mathew said Thursday.

The government slammed Healy’s conduct, blacklisted the band from the country and canceled the three-day festival. Some in the LGBTQ+ community also criticized the band, saying Healy had disrupted the work of activists pushing for change and had endangered the community.