| Whitney Chewston | |||||
| Othername: | Homophobic Dog | ||||
| Species: | Dog (Canis familiaris) | ||||
| Breed: | Miniature dachshund | ||||
| Gender: | Female | ||||
| Birth Date: | 8 September 2016 | ||||
| Birth Place: | Columbus, Ohio, U.S. | ||||
| Occupation: | Internet celebrity | ||||
| Years Active: | 2021–present | ||||
| Appearance: | White miniature dachshund | ||||
| Namedafter: | Whitney Houston | ||||
| Known For: | Internet meme | ||||
| Residence: | Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S. | ||||
| Owners: | Logan Hickman and Ben Campbell | ||||
| Module: |
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Whitney Chewston (born September 8, 2016),[1] also known as the homophobic dog, is a miniature dachshund who has become an influencer and brand ambassador as a result of her fame.[2] After becoming associated with an internet meme in 2021, Whitney has gained a significant following with over 180,000 followers on Instagram as of August 2024.
Whitney Chewston was born on September 8, 2016, in Columbus, Ohio, and was adopted by her owners Logan Hickman and Ben Campbell. Hickman recalls that his sister had initially wanted to get another dachshund from a breeder, but was dissuaded by her husband. Instead, she convinced Hickman to visit the breeder, where he spotted a newly born Whitney.[3]
Whitney began her social media journey on Instagram as a result of her owners wanting to share puppy photos with their families. After several complaints, Whitney was given a personal account to post from.[4] She had gained notable traction within Columbus, becoming a local internet celebrity and having multiple articles written about her, all while hovering at around 40 thousand followers in early 2021.[5]
In March 2021, an Instagram user added the text "not too fond of gay people" to a 2019 photo of Whitney beside a glass of red wine. This initial image later circulated on social media and grew in popularity in early 2022 on Twitter, gaining Whitney the nickname of "Homophobic Dog".[6] The format of the meme adapted as it spread; users, who were often LGBT, superimposed homophobic captions on other photos of Whitney "often looking sassy or suspicious".[7]
While the meme continued to grow, users discovered that Whitney's owners were a married gay couple. Her owners have expressed that she is an advocate of LGBT rights, and recent pictures have shown her donning rainbow attire. Her owners have also expressed support for the meme, saying it uses satire to "[shed] light on things and people who actually are homophobic".
On May 15, 2022, a tweet of a fake Washington Post article titled "This dog is the new face of online homophobia" supposedly written by Taylor Lorenz accrued nearly 450,000 likes in 24 hours.[8] Several accounts responded to the fake headline with criticism of The Washington Post and Generation Z, with one of the most high-profile cases being Christina Pushaw, the spokesperson of Florida governor Ron DeSantis.[9] Lorenz responded to Pushaw, writing "I would have assumed a press secretary could recognise the difference between a fake screenshot from a meme page and a real news story, but apparently not". On May 16, the fake title was used as the headline for an article about Whitney in LGBTQ Nation.[10]
In June 2022, Lil Nas X posted an image of Whitney to promote his and YoungBoy Never Broke Again's single "Late to da Party".[11]