Following allegations that he starred in several gay adult films, anti-LGBTQ+ activist Corey DeAngelis admitted in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that he'd made "mistakes" while claiming he was the "victim of poor decisions and poor influences."
DeAngelis, a senior fellow at the American Federation for Children—a conservative organization that promotes "school choice," the use of public dollars to help families pay for private school tuition and homeschooling—was placed on leave after the organization learned of allegations that he appeared in videos on the adult-film site GayHoopla under the alias Seth Rose, including a film titled Jerk Off Race.
And to get ahead of the scandal, he painted himself as a victim, suggesting his past work in adult films would not and should not undermine the work he's done as a prominent conservative voice.
He wrote:
"As an activist for parental rights and school choice, my passion is personal. 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. I have turned that experience into the fuel that fires me to save young people from being put in the same position I was put in and to help parents protect their children. I will never stop fighting for what is right."
You can see his post below.
The scandal surrounding DeAngelis is particularly significant given his high-profile presence in conservative media, where he frequently engaged in heated debates and attacked public education and LGBTQ+ inclusion efforts.
As a senior fellow at the American Federation for Children and a regular contributor to conservative outlets, DeAngelis has been a vocal proponent of school choice, arguing that public education is being compromised by "woke indoctrination," particularly around LGBTQ+ issues. He has claimed such initiatives harm children and infringe on parents' rights.
Many have condemned his hypocrisy.
In response to the controversy, the American Federation for Children has removed all references to DeAngelis from its website and placed him on leave while investigating the matter.
Meanwhile, the Cato Institute, where he also serves as an adjunct scholar, has distanced itself from the scandal but confirmed that his position there remains unchanged.
