The Heritage Foundation announced Thursday that it has hired Cory A. DeAngelis, a prominent anti-LGBTQ+ right-wing advocate, as a fellow at its Education Policy Center. The ultra-conservative group’s announcement comes after DeAngelis sparked controversy in 2024 after he admitted appearing in a gay adult film under a false name, which critics called hypocritical.
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heritage said DeAngelis will focus on promoting school choice, challenging the power of teachers’ unions, and addressing the cultural conversation around race and gender in education. It was adopted by first reported by daily wireThe article said DeAngelis called the post “a tremendous honor” and praised Heritage as “one of the world’s leading conservative think tanks.”
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DeAngelis is listed as a contributor to Project 2025. Project 2025 is a conservative policy blueprint that Democrats and critics say is currently being implemented by the Trump administration, proposing sweeping reforms to the federal government, including major overhauls of the U.S. Department of Education. Since January 2025, after President Donald Trump took office again, the federal government has targeted LGBTQ+ rights, including content and participation about queer and transgender people in school settings.
Less than two years ago, in September 2024, after a gay porn blog posted stills from the film, DeAngelis acknowledged the following month that videos of him appearing online using the name “Seth Rose” were his, and said they were recorded while he was in college. as defender As previously reported, the revelation led to his firing from the American Federation for Children, a conservative anti-public education group where he was a senior researcher.
At the time, DeAngelis acknowledged the video was real and said it reflected his past mistakes. The episode received national attention. DeAngelis had developed a public profile at the school as a critic of what he described as “woke ideology.” He said the episode shouldn’t define his work and cast himself as a victim of cancel culture.
related: Anti-LGBTQ+ extremist Corey DeAngelis admits past gay adult films in interview with Christian News
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“If I could have been tempted and made a bad decision as a young man in college, imagine how bad it would be for young people,” DeAngelis told the Christian Broadcasting Network at the time.
DeAngelis is a prominent figure in conservative education policy debates, supporting vouchers, charter schools, education savings accounts, and opposing the influence of teachers unions. He has held roles in several right-wing institutions, including the Cato Institute and the Hoover Institution.
Heritage, one of Washington, D.C.’s most powerful policy institutions, is in the midst of a public identity battle, plagued by internal strife and high-profile departures. Jonathan Butcher, acting director of the Heritage Education Policy Center, praised DeAngelis’ work in announcing the hire: “Corey publishes high-quality research that proves the effectiveness of educational choice and regularly exposes policy makers who choose private schools for their own families while denying those choices to others.”
related: Right-winger Corey DeAngelis seems to approve of gay adult film persona: ‘Victim of poor decisions’
Jay W. Richards, Vice President of Social and Domestic Policy at Heritage, also welcomed Mr. DeAngelis, telling The Daily Wire, “We are excited to welcome Cory DeAngelis to the Heritage Education Policy Center. Mr. Cory brings a rare combination of rigorous research, real-world policy engagement, and an unwavering focus on empowering families.”
defender We contacted the Heritage Foundation outside of normal business hours. Representatives for the group did not respond to requests for comment.
Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD, criticized DeAngelis’ hypocrisy when the video first broke. “Corey DeAngelis is another public figure whose anti-LGBTQ extremism already severely disqualifies him as an expert in improving school safety and education,” Ellis said. defender at that time. “The latest news about DeAngelis further reveals DeAngelis’ baseless and hypocritical attempts to benefit and score political points. DeAngelis is a sideshow charlatan.”
Ellis added, “The real threat is the people who supported him and Project 2025’s blueprint for a government takeover that destroys the Department of Education and refuses to recognize the growing visibility and acceptance of LGBTQ people throughout society.”
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