Corey DeAngelis, a prominent figure in conservative education advocacy, is facing intense scrutiny after revelations of his past as a performer in the gay porn industry. Known under the pseudonym "Seth Rose," DeAngelis' involvement in adult entertainment surfaced in July and was recently amplified by a Substack blogger on Current Revolt. This disclosure has led to widespread national media coverage over the weekend.
DeAngelis is a senior fellow with the American Federation for Children (AFC), a group advocating for private and charter schools and founded by Betsy DeVos, and also serves as an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank. He has been an outspoken critic of the U.S. Department of Education and LGBTQ rights, branding public education as rife with "left-wing indoctrination." DeAngelis' book, "The Parent Revolution," aims to guide parents in counteracting what he describes as radical elements within schools.
The startling contrast between his current professional persona and his past as "Seth Rose" on the adult site GayHoopla has set off a wave of reactions. Following the reports, the American Federation for Children has removed DeAngelis' information from their website. The organisation issued a statement saying, "We have placed the employee on leave as we investigate this matter further."
The revelations were particularly dramatic given that they were not unearthed by left-leaning detractors but by rightwing supporters. American Federation for Teachers President Randi Weingarten and other figures in the education sector have often found themselves targets of DeAngelis’ outspoken critiques.
Yahoo News writer described DeAngelis as being renowned for his "aggressive online rhetoric aimed at school districts, teachers unions, particularly the American Federation of Teachers." The columnist noted DeAngelis' visibility as a staunch advocate for school choice, positioning traditional school districts as inadequately serving students while allegedly pushing left-wing ideologies.
Questions about the impact of his past on his present endeavours have yet to be addressed by DeAngelis. He has not offered any public statement or explanation, and when approached by various media outlets, did not respond. His auto-reply from Stanford University suggested he was on paternity leave.
Reactions from LGBTQ-friendly media have spotlighted perceived hypocrisy. Samantha Riedel, writing for Them, noted that the real issue is "not the act of having done gay porn in the past" but rather leveraging that experience for financial gain while promoting an agenda like Project 2025, which reportedly includes plans to ban pornography. Sarah Kate Ellis, CEO of GLAAD, echoed these sentiments, criticising DeAngelis and his affiliates for what she described as "anti-LGBTQ attacks."
Corey DeAngelis' academic background is well-documented. His biography on the Cato Institute website reveals he holds a Ph.D. in education policy from the University of Arkansas and both a bachelor's and a master’s degree in economics from the University of Texas at San Antonio. He has co-authored several scholarly articles, book chapters, and reports on education policy and co-edited the volume “School Choice Myths: Setting the Record Straight on Education Freedom.”
Source: Noah Wire Services