A new book about math and drag queen performances seeks to educate readers on both subjects, with its author saying the book details how the two overlap.
Kynes Santos, a drag queen himself, discussed his new book Math in Drag on Wednesday, explaining that math was always his favorite school subject and that he wanted to help combine his love for math and drag. Santos noted that some people argue that the two subjects are unrelated, as math is about rules while there are no rules in drag.
“But really, the book is about all the ways that they overlap, and really, higher level math is about thinking creatively and questioning rules and stereotypes,” Santos said on CBS Mornings.
Santos, who goes by the drag queen name Kynes on social media, has posted multiple math-related riddles in drag on his TikTok account, where he has 1.5 million followers. Santos also has 393,000 followers on Instagram and over 37,300 followers on X.
Santos was also asked about concerns that some would have about a drag queen teaching math to children. He told a story about how growing up, he didn’t fit the mold of a “traditional” mathematician or scientist.
“They look very straight, wearing a suit and tie.” The drag queen added that “anybody” can study math, and that what matters is “in your head.”
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Drag queens performing in front of children, including in schools, have been widely debated across the United States. In May 2023, Montana banned drag queen story hours in publicly-funded libraries and schools in the state after Gov. Greg Gianforte (R-MT) signed legislation into law against it, though this law was temporarily blocked by a federal judge in July.
Last year, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R-TN) signed a bill in March that criminalized drag show performances in certain public locations. This law was later ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge.
