The 1975‘s Matty Healy says he may not be welcomed back to Dubai after he made an emotional plea for equality and acceptance – and kissed a male fan – during a concert in the conservative United Arab Emirates on Wednesday.
“I’m scared being here right now because I don’t want to say the wrong thing," the singer said, wiping tears from his eyes. "I just want us to identify as humans and not as groups of individual different people.
"I see so much passion and just, like, pain and I know what you guys are going through and I know you are not representative of your governments."
Healy acknowledged he was taking a chance by speaking up and performing in his usual flamboyant way. "I can’t do it without saying anything," he said. "So if you want to arrest me for lifting my shirt or swearing or whatever... I’m just doing this out of love and I love you guys."
At one point in the show, the backdrop lit up in the colours of the LGBT Pride flag. Healy also left the stage during “Love Someone” to hug a guy who had asked the singer to marry him. "You want a kiss?," he asked him before locking lips.
"I’m not trying to be provocative," Healy said, "but we are who we are."
While it is not uncommon for Emirati men to greet each other by putting their noses together or to hold hands in public, the kiss could have been seen as public indecency. A video of the kiss disappeared from Twitter shortly after it was posted.
After the show, Healy tweeted: “Thank you Dubai you were so amazing. I don’t think we’ll be allowed back due to my ‘behaviour’ but know that I love you and I wouldn’t have done anything differently given the chance again.
“But who knows maybe they will let me back in let’s just wait and see.”