I think the iLvl requirements they placed as a prerequisite for getting into LFR are fair; I understand that you might be knowledgeable about your class and want to get right into the good stuff -- but gear matters a great deal. More so when you go from the 40-man raid based system back in Vanilla where some undergeared people could have been carried to a 25-man environment where everyone's DPS and gear has to be on point.
It doesn't take too, too long and there are ways to bolster certain slots without tearing your own hair out about it. (For instance, I put the PVP trinket in my trinket slot and was able to get in LFR with a few other pieces of Malevolent gear as well.)