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Corey DeAngelis is listed as a contributor in the more than 900-page document. LGBTQ+ advocates have called him a hypocrite over his anti-LGBTQ+ stances.
Corey DeAngelis, a prominent school choice advocate and vocal critic of LGBTQ+ rights in education, who was recently exposed for allegedly having a history in gay adult films under the name “Seth Rose,” leading to widespread accusations of hypocrisy, is also a contributor to the extreme Project 2025 agenda.
The plan, spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation, seeks to “institutionalize Trumpism” should the Republican former president win a second term. The project’s controversial blueprint includes a dangerous rollback of protections forLGBTQ+ students, alarming advocates and civil rights groups.
Related: Right-wing anti-LGBTQ+ education activist exposed as former gay adult film actor: report
Project 2025 proposes eliminating the U.S. Department of Education, a move that would remove critical protections for marginalized students, including those who identify as queer or gender non-conforming. DeAngelis appears on page 27 of the document as a contributor from the American Federation for Children. Critics say the plan threatens to undermine the safety and inclusion of LGBTQ+ youth in schools across the country.
GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis condemned DeAngelis’s involvement in a statement to The Advocate. “DeAngelis’ 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 said.
The danger of Project 2025 is particularly concerning for LGBTQ+ students, who already face hostile environments in many schools. According to GLSEN’s 2021 National School Climate Survey, almost 82 percent of LGBTQ+ students reported feeling unsafe at school due to their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. The survey also revealed that 32 percent of LGBTQ+ students had missed school in the past month because they felt unsafe, highlighting the critical need for federal protections that Project 2025 seeks to dismantle.
Data from GLSEN’s survey also shows that schools with Gay-Straight Alliances and LGBTQ+ inclusive curricula foster safer, more welcoming environments for students. LGBTQ+ students in these schools experience fewer incidents of harassment and are more likely to feel a sense of belonging. However, the rollback of federal protections proposed by Project 2025 would jeopardize these positive gains, further endangering vulnerable students.
Related: Project 2025: A blueprint for the oppression of LGBTQ+ Americans
DeAngelis, affiliated with the Betsy DeVos-backed American Federation for Children, has come under increasing scrutiny since his alleged adult film history was revealed. DeVos is the controversial former Education Secretary in the Trump administration. The organization has scrubbed all references to him from its website and placed him on leave.
“This employee has been placed on leave as we look into the matter, and we will not be commenting further,” a spokesperson for the group told The Advocate.
The Cato Institute, where DeAngelis serves as an adjunct scholar, confirmed that his status with the organization remains unchanged, though the organization distanced itself from his outside affiliations. “Adjunct scholars work with Cato on defined projects, however, outside of that work may align with other groups that do not adhere to our mission and values. We proudly continue to advocate for greater freedom for all, including gay rights and school choice,” a Cato spokesperson told The Advocate.
DeAngelis did not respond to multiple requests for comment, and his Stanford University email reply indicated that he was out of the office and on paternity leave.
His silence on social media and in the press has been noteworthy. In a pointed post on X (formerly Twitter), American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, a frequent target of DeAngelis’s rhetoric, quipped, “Has anyone heard from Corey DeAngelis in the last few days? He normally tweets at me incessantly—he’s been very silent. Hope he’s ok.”
“Project 2025 calls for eliminating the Department of Education, which exists to help make sure every student, including LGBTQ students, receive a quality education in a safe environment. DeAngelis’ fraud on school districts across the country should be seen for what it is: an anti-LGBTQ attack, underwritten by the most extreme anti-LGBTQ groups. DeAngelis and Heritage have no business anywhere near America’s schools, students, and families,” Ellis said.
