Xenia, the transfemme foxgirl mascot that Linux could have gotten
First of all, thanks to https://xenia.efi.pages.gay/. I got most of this info from there - I just wanted to share this gem with the bearblog world.
If you frequent bearblog, there's a decent chance you're tech-savvy enough to have at least heard of Linux. At this point, the kernel and its penguin mascot 'Tux' are fairly well known, even among the less technically inclined. But, did you ever wonder where we got the mascot from? Why is it a penguin? Well, you'd think it was there from the very start, but that isn't actually the case. It came from a logo contest. In said contest, Tux was actually chosen by Linus despite not getting the most amount of votes. This did not sit well with some people, and alternatives were quickly proposed. We will talk about one such alternative in this post - A mascot that was created by Alan Mackey, shortly after the end of the Logo contest. A mascot that, against all odds, has managed to resist the sands of time. It is also the only mascot character i am aware of that is not only trans but has actually, canonically, transitioned.
We'll be talking about Xenia, the transfemme foxgirl that could have ended up being the figurehead of the Linux kernel - had things gone slightly differently.
So, right, the mascot contest. Xenia was designed by Alan Mackey in 1996, and originally simply called the 'Linux Fox'.
Why a fox? Well..
The penguin is nice and all, but it doesn't really remind me of a lean and mean multitasking/networking machine. LinuxFox, on the other hand, is clearly a hard-core Linux coder. :-)
So. Yeah. Just because it looks cool, basically. Which - fair - foxes are pretty cool.
Anyways! Alan creates the Mascot, it gets about 300 votes, and the world forgets about the linux fox.
Until 2019, that is!
Twitter User Cathode Gaytube finds out about Xenia from her Girlfriend, and draws what she assumes to be a foxgirl.
Months later, in 2020 someone reaches out to Alan himself, and...
Surprise!
Xenia is not actually a girl.
Well... Originally she was not intended to be, that is.
Originally, Alan intended for her to be a guy.
But, he saw the tweet, and liked the female interpretation enough, that well...
[...] to me your interpretation as female actually makes a lot of sense, especially in the context of time.
It matches the transitions of a lot of the smartest, nerdiest Linux users I know.
Yep, you read that right, Xenia is transfem now!
Officially! Well, as officially as you can get with an unofficial mascot.
Alan also signed off on the new name of Xenia, given to her by cathodegaytube's girlfriend.
That's the tale of Xenia, the maybe only mascot with a realistic transition timeline.
I just love this story. How often do you get a mascot that is unintentionally trans?
So, next time you need some Linux Iconography... Why not use a certain transfem foxgirl?
Also, Alan Mackeys old, archived Xenia announcement page I linked here earlier actually has some badges for you to put on your blog, in case you wanna spread the good word of Xenia. So, y'know, do with that information what you will.