So, say you love kangaroos. The most obvious answer would be to make a kangaroo costume, change your name, and hop everywhere you go, right?
Well to Gary Matthews, an avid dog lover, this concept is absolutely on point. Gary, AKA Boomer the Dog, feels an internal connection with our furry friends, far beyond just keeping them as pets. Boomer is part of an ever growing society of people who are called Furries. When appropriate, or even sometimes not, Gary?dons his shaggy dog costume, fetches, eats out of a bowl, and chases cars. When not in costume his hair is made to look like dog ears, and he wears a dog collar everywhere, etched with his preferred name, Boomer.
Though he was turned down by a Pennsylvania judge when he attempted to legally change his name to Boomer the Dog, his friends and family still refer to him as Boomer. The judge felt that in an emergency situation, if he were to give his name to a 911 operator, they would not take him seriously.
This has not stifled Boomer’s internal feelings that he is supposed to be part of our furry friends’ carefree family. Boomer, in an interview with Vice, describes his need to join the canine family, saying;
I really wish they do figure [out how to turn humans into dogs] so I can do that! I used to think about, wow, I can transform and yeah, I’m really gonna do this. But later, when it dawned on me, it was like reality saying, ‘this is not gonna happen’ and I would get really depressed, it’d be something I’d try not to think about.
Boomer isn’t alone in this lifestyle, the Furry community is ever growing, to the point where they hold a Furry convention every year in Pittsburgh attracting thousands of Furry fans. A lot of the people engrossed in this culture look at it as a hobby, while Gary looks at it as a lifestyle.
The Furry culture is still considered extremely taboo, but thousands of people submerge themselves daily?in role play, taking on the persona of our furry, most beloved friends. Let us know your thoughts at the Liberal America Facebook page.
Edited/Published by: SB
