DC liberals are escaping reality with ‘mermaid’ culture

Washington, D.C., is home to some of the most important political activity in the world, but it is also allegedly home to a budding society of wannabe mermaids.

The mermaid community in D.C., Maryland, and the surrounding area has become a popular place for liberals to “escape” reality and get in touch with their “inner child.”

Unfortunately for the population at large, this means that at least some of the mermaid hopefuls actually work for the federal government.

‘To escape into something magical, anything as far from this reality as you can, feels really nice.’

A recent report from the Washington Post shined light on this community, with many of its members indicating they are looking to escape the “pressure-cooker environment” of D.C.

“Living here is fast; everything is fast. There’s traffic. There’s so many people, and it feels so suffocating sometimes,” Maryland resident Montara Hewgill told the Washington Post. “But, to escape into something magical, anything as far from this reality as you can, feels really nice, even if it’s just for a couple of hours.”

The Metro MerFolk group, a Facebook community with nearly 1,000 followers, consists of “dancers, swimmers, government workers, military spouses, and parents” seeking an escape from their actual lives.

“It was just creating space for people to have fun,” said Colleen McCartney, the group’s founder. McCartney calls herself the Celtic Siren and says the costume group includes women, men, and nonbinary people.

“There’s also a lot of people who needed a place to feel accepted, whether they were neurodivergent or they were the alphabet mafia, the LGBTQIA — finding a place that you can let your guard down and actually get in touch with your inner child and play. That’s not a space that exists very often,” McCartney said.

Groups like this gathering are just the tip of the spear, as D.C. also hosts its own annual convention where hundreds of mermaids, mermen, and others who wish to dress in sexually provocative underwater costumes gather to swim in a large pool.

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Admittedly, the mermaid group members are in higher income brackets, according to the Post, describing them as “residents with enough disposable income to spend on tails that can cost several thousand dollars.”

These expensive pieces are shown off at annual events like D.C.’s MerMagic Con, which boasts group swimming sessions and speaker panels with a cast of extremely colorful characters. For 2025, this includes MerBeast Irie, Opal Whiptail, and Mermaid Chè Monique, founder of the Society of Fat Mermaids.

MerMagic Con also boasts strict anti-harassment policies, which organizers warn that if breached, can result in arrest.

The policy notes that “gender identity” and “gender presentation” must be respected, while any attendee can report harassment if they feel uncomfortable at any time.

“Keep your hands and opinions to yourself,” the website reads.

The event also explains in its terms of participation that any attendee can force others to show their event pass, because “we are all equals.”

“At MerMagic Con we are all mermaids. Please check your ego at the door.”

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  A woman poses in a mermaid costume following the 43rd Annual Coney Island Mermaid Parade, June 2025, in New York City. Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images

Rebeka Zeljko, Capitol Hill reporter for Blaze News, says that while she is vaguely aware of these communities, she has not witnessed them for herself. At the same time, she finds them disturbing.

“A lot people have an obsession with making normal adult activities as interesting or as ‘fun’ as possible. It reminds me of adults who reject traditional family values and, as a consequence, are devoid of purpose and meaning in their life,” Zeljko stated.

She added, “A legitimate portion of adults, especially with liberal or untraditional values, refuse to bear common responsibilities that come with adulthood.”

When asked if she would consider joining one of the cosplay groups to escape the stress of the D.C. environment, Zeljko replied, “I just exercise like a normal person.”

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