Twitter thread perfectly sums up how we all felt about Love Sensation

After an epic weekend of all things queer, a Twitter thread by trans activist Noah Halpin captures the magic of Love Sensation.

News . Written by Oisin Kenny.

Noah Haplin standing with people from Act UP Ireland, such as Will St Leger and Holly Shortall, at Love Sensation.

A trans activist perfectly summed up the stunning debut of Love Sensation, Ireland’s very first LGBT+ focused festival, in a heartwarming Twitter thread. 

Love Sensation festival was a gorgeous weekend of sensational drag acts, phenomenal singers, friendly security, and vital discussions in the Queer Quarter. Noah Halpin, founder of This Is Me, created a Twitter thread that encapsulated the joy and wonder we all felt throughout the weekend.  

People dressed up for the momentous occasion, turning up in electric looks that were simply divine. Plus with such short lines for the bar, there was plenty more time for dancing the night away. 

After the festival, people heaped praise onto the spectacular two days of celebrating the LGBT+ community and their friends. The Royal Hospital Kilmainham was served rainbows for their nerves. 

As Noah himself said, “Now that I’m back to a semi – normal state, let’s talk about Love Sensation”.

I’m not one to get all sentimental about festivals or concerts, but there was something very very special about #LoveSensation this weekend.

Firstly, never have I been to a festival with such friendly & respectful security.

Having non gendered security checks at the entrance, I know, made a wonderful difference to trans/nb people. It rids us of that initial panic of “Who do I go to?” “What if he feels my binder and asks what I’ve got under my top?” No such worries. All of the security staff were well in tune. And how nice it was for someone to ask “Do you mind if I search you?” Instead of the usual “Arms out.” And they remained good-humoured throughout the whole weekend. 

Speaking of things not being gendered, all of the toilets were gender-neutral. This also means a lot to trans/nb folks and even people attending who decided to have fun with their gender expression at the weekend! It also made for almost (zero) queues at the toilets (which were always clean and had toilet paper) the loo attendants played a blinder!

And the bar! I didn’t wait in one queue the whole weekend. It was also good to see non-alcoholic beer selections for those can’t/don’t drink. And lots of selection for those who do!

The line up was incredible. Predominantly female led, performers of all abilities & performers that represented every letter of LGBTQ. With plenty of variety. From pumping tunes by @HONEYDIJON to chilled craic with #popsessed live. 

Food was delish & catered for all types of diets.

The messaging too, inviting groups like @ActUpDublin, @FocusIreland and @HSELive to speak to festival goers in a safe space, about things that concern our community as a whole and also things may be personal to individuals.

And am I right in saying that it’s the first music festival to install a big #UequalsU message on site!? (Undetectable means Untransmittable)

All of this together caused happy festival goers. And when that’s the case, the atmosphere and crowd are wonderful.

There was a massive sense of love, joy, fun, respect, Pride and people felt safe enough to express themselves however they wished. Never once did I get worried when I lost my friends, because you were bound to bump into someone you knew. And if not, you’d get to know someone!

It was absolutely the best festival I’ve been to. Gorgeous atmosphere, gorgeous crowd, unbelievable staff and just a lot of good fun!

Massive props and thanks to the organizers @CormacCashman , @Lisadonegal & the @MotherDublin crew!

I am already dying for next year!

And people on social media are echoing his excitement for what the future holds for Love Sensation. Here are some more fabulous Tweets from happy festival goers:

https://twitter.com/AmyNiChaoimh/status/1163281702887874560

https://twitter.com/EvanKMac/status/1163454581759795201

© 2019 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.

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