I think people sense that you touch into something deeper, more intimate when there is that allowance of freedom, when there is no judgement at all, and the relationship is not based on some kind of agreement, but just being who you are.
For example this community, those that have been to fests and meetups and such, no doubt pick up on that. Having come from a background where there is a lot of judgement, it is refreshing to have that to some extent, because even if people do still have certain judgements they seem to recognize, maybe have a certain empathy of having to start over from square one or what have you.
If nothing else, we can say that there is authenticity in the relationship. I mean judge all you want, but atleast there is honesty then right? You know where everybody stands then. That's why I loved that quote from Before Sunset, about pursuing this idea of a best self even if it overrides the honest self - kind of sums it up.