Kyne (drag queen)

Santos was born in Manila in the Philippines.[2] He is of Filipino descent.[3] He moved to Kitchener, Canada with his parents when he was 5.[2] He studied math at the University of Waterloo.[3]

Prior to competing in Canada's Drag Race, Kyne had a following on YouTube for drag enthusiasts with a series of tutorials on sewing and wig styling.[4]

Kyne uses she/her pronouns when in drag, and he/him pronouns not in drag.[5]

Although Kyne was eliminated from Canada's Drag Race in the second episode, and got the "villain edit" because his self-confidence was perceived by some viewers as lapsing into cockiness,[6] he subsequently became a popular figure on social media, attracting over 800,000 followers on TikTok with a popular series of math tutorials presented in drag.[7] The math videos have included straightforward presentations on general mathematical concepts such as pi and googol, math riddles and memes, and in-depth analysis of the use of mathematics in the news, such as demonstrating the numerical flaws in bad reporting on issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic and race-based crime statistics.[3]

Santos has described his math tutorials as inspired by a desire to present math in a fun and entertaining way, and by a desire to break down barriers, including countering common stereotypes that LGBTQ people cannot succeed in maths and sciences, and presenting a counterexample to the widespread belief that people can be analytical or creative but not both.[7]

In January 2021, Santos also shared his coming out story in a new video for the ongoing It Gets Better Project.[8]

In 2023, Kyne was named as a part of the year's Forbes 30 Under 30 Local: Toronto list.[9]