By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
While some conservatives praise his ‘bravery’ for ‘changing his ways,’ others give him the ax.
Corey DeAngelis, a prominent advocate for conservative education reform and the face of the institutional privatization or ‘school choice’ movement, has been fired from the American Federation for Children after his past involvement in gay adult films came to light, Reason reports.
DeAngelis, previously a senior fellow at the AFC, had been a vocal critic of LGBTQ+ rights in education, frequently aligning himself with far-right groups like Moms for Liberty and PragerU. His work focused on diverting public funds to private and charter schools, often invoking parental rights and fighting against what he called “woke indoctrination” in schools. However, his past, which includes performing in gay adult entertainment films under the pseudonym “Seth Rose” around 2014, triggered accusations of hypocrisy from LGBTQ+ advocates.
“Corey is no longer at AFC,” a spokesperson told Reason. “We wish him well in his next endeavors, and we remain focused on our mission to expand educational opportunity for families, particularly lower-income families, across the country.”
Related: Right-wing anti-LGBTQ+ education activist exposed as former gay adult film actor: report
Earlier, a spokesperson told The Advocate that DeAngelis had been placed on leave while the organization investigated the matter. Since then, neither DeAngelis nor the AFC has commented publicly about his status. “This employee has been placed on leave as we look into the matter, and we will not be commenting further,” a spokesperson for AFC told The Advocate last week. The same AFC spokesperson who confirmed DeAngelis’s suspension did not respond to multiple requests from The Advocate to confirm his firing.
The revelation of DeAngelis’s past in the adult film industry has sparked a firestorm, with many LGBTQ+ advocates pointing out the stark contrast between his private life and his public positions. Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD, had condemned DeAngelis’s ties to anti-LGBTQ+ groups like the one he was fired from and the Heritage Foundation, which influences public policy in GOP circles. “DeAngelis’s connections to the longtime anti-LGBTQ group Heritage Foundation and his co-authorship of Heritage’s fascist, dangerous blueprint Project 2025 are further proof that he is willing to sell out student safety to anti-LGBTQ extremists. Targeting any student makes every student and school less safe,” Ellis told The Advocate previously.
Related: Right-wing ‘school choice’ advocate linked to gay adult films appears in Republican Project 2025 document
While DeAngelis remained absent from public view following the initial exposure, he eventually broke his silence on X (formerly Twitter) in a post on Monday, attempting to frame himself as a victim of bad decisions. “As an activist for parental rights and school choice, my passion is personal,” DeAngelis wrote. “Just like everyone else, I have made mistakes throughout my life, learned from those mistakes, used that as an opportunity to grow, and tried to channel that experience into something positive. I was a victim of poor decisions and poor influences.”
But the damage had already been done. DeAngelis’s conservative base—usually quick to decry “cancel culture”—turned on him. Several right-wing organizations, including those with which DeAngelis had scheduled speaking engagements, swiftly rescinded invitations following the news of his past. Notably, DeAngelis failed to appear at a high-profile “Rescue the Republic” conference in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, where he had been slated to share the stage with figures like Moms for Liberty co-founder Tiffany Justice and conservative provocateur Charlie Kirk.
Related: Right-wing ‘hypocrite’ Corey DeAngelis seems to admit to gay adult film persona: ‘victim of poor decisions and poor influences’
The scandal has reignited debates about hypocrisy within conservative ranks, particularly as it pertains to DeAngelis’s role in advocating for policies that disproportionately harm LGBTQ+ students while concealing a past life in an industry he and his allies have vilified. Even as some conservatives call his firing an example of “cancel culture,” LGBTQ+ advocates have been quick to highlight the double standard at play.
Now that DeAngelis has been officially ousted, it remains unclear how his career in the conservative education movement will evolve—or if it will survive.
While DeAngelis’s role with AFC has been terminated, he remains a senior fellow at the libertarian Reason Foundation, which publishes Reason. The Cato Institute, where DeAngelis holds an adjunct scholar position, has also distanced itself from the controversy but has not altered his employment status.
