Whitney Chewston (born September 8, 2016), also known as the homophobic dog, is a miniature dachshund who became the subject of an internet meme in 2021. An Instagram page for the dog has gained a significant following, with over 170,000 followers as of February 2025.
Biography
Whitney Chewston was born on September 8, 2016,[1] in Columbus, Ohio, and was adopted by her owners, Logan Hickman and Ben Campbell. Hickman recalls that his sister 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.[2]
Career
2016–2021: Instagram account
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.[3] She gained notable traction within Columbus, becoming a local internet celebrity and the subject of many articles, while hovering at around 40,000 followers in early 2021.[4]
2021–present: "Homophobic dog" meme
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 image circulated on social media and grew in popularity in early 2022 on Twitter, gaining Whitney the nickname Homophobic Dog.[5] The format of the meme adapted as it spread; users, who were often LGBTQ,[5][6] 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.[5] Her owners have expressed that she is an advocate of LGBT rights, and recent pictures have shown her donning rainbow attire.[2] Her owners have also expressed support for the meme, saying it uses satire to "[shed] light on things and people who actually are homophobic".[5]
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;[citation needed] one of the most high-profile cases was Christina Pushaw, 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".[9] On May 16, the fake title was used as the headline for an article about Whitney in LGBTQ Nation.[6]
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".[10]
See also
References
- ^ "Whitney on Instagram: 'Today is my 5th birthday! Thankful for another year of love from all my furiends on here. 🎂🥂🙏🏼🤍🐾'". Instagram. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
- ^ a b "'Homophobic Dog' Whitney Chewston's Owners Tell Us How Their Dog Became An LGBTQ+ Icon". Know Your Meme. May 17, 2022. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
- ^ Dispatch, Megan Sharp The Columbus. "Columbus area dogs, cats and owners thrive on Instagram". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
- ^ Ghose, Dave. "Columbus Pets Guide: Meet the Petfluencers". Columbus Monthly. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Robinette, Ashlyn. "Whitney Chewston, the 'homophobic dog,' isn't actually homophobic". teenscreate.net. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
- ^ a b Bollinger, Alex (May 16, 2022). "This dog is the new face of online homophobia". LGBTQ Nation. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
- ^ Stein, Lucia (July 29, 2022). "The Homophobic Dog isn't actually homophobic – she's a gay icon". GCN. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
- ^ "Taylor Lorenz of Washington Post did not write article about homophobic dog meme; viral screenshot is satire". verifythis.com. May 17, 2022. Archived from the original on June 9, 2023. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
- ^ a b Spocchia, Gino (May 18, 2022). "DeSantis press secretary 'duped' by fake story about 'homophobic dog'". The Independent. Archived from the original on May 18, 2022. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
- ^ i am reading all that [@LilNasX] (June 19, 2022). "Do it now for a chance to see him live! calling you the famous word as seen on auntie diaries by kendrick lamar! hurry! presave: https://t.co/qsB86RPTXN https://t.co/OzZmj5QxDQ" (Tweet). Archived from the original on October 20, 2022. Retrieved February 23, 2023 – via Twitter.