As the rave culture is becoming more and more mainstream each year, people from all demographics have attended an EDM music festival. A place where everyone thought they could be themselves, express who they really are without the fear of judgement. Nearly a decade ago, this changed for about 250,000 rave-goers.

LED Gloving is an art form that was banned in 2010 by most major rave creators including Insomniac, Mad Decent, Hard, and Ultra. Gloving is an art form that created a community worldwide. This ban was detrimental to the gloving community. Not allowing them to express their art in a place where there shouldn’t be judgment.

In 2010 a law in California was passed called the Concert and Music Festival Safety Act, also known as the Rave Act which required events to be assessed for health and safety hazards. This Act didn’t explicitly ban LED gloves at festivals, but it did scare hosts like Insomniac, Ultra, Hard, and Mad Decent to ban LED Gloves, labeling them as “drug paraphernalia”. This banned is simply outdated by nearly a decaded concerning a culture that is constantly evolving every year. The Rave Act was created due to a young girl dying at a music festival due to drug abuse. Government officials and people unfamiliar with the rave culture correlated LED gloves with drug use.

Simply asking any glover if they consider LED gloves to be a drug accessory would immediately put this argument to rest. Gloving is a form of self expression through art. Glovers will practice for hours to master this skill, just like painters, song writers, and dancers alike. Banning gloves is a completely misguided attempt to eliminate the stigma around raves and illegal drug abuse. In fact, the ban on LED gloves has only created more danger and corruption at raves. With event security abusing and harassing glovers everywhere. There have been numerous accounts where glovers have been blackmailed and bribed by event security, forcing them to either pay them X ammount of money or they would have to give up their gloves, which could cost an upward of $70 a pair. Security has also tackled, pinned down, and even assulted glovers at festivals. A place where everyone is supposed to feel welcomed.

I hope after reading this you understand the importance of lifting the ban on LED gloves at music festivals. To create a fun, safe, and enjoyable experience for everyone to enjoy, to allow people to express their creativity how they see fit. Nobody should be stopped from self expression. Everyone should be allowed to be who they are at these events, with out judgement, harassment, or abuse.