Cheyenne Jackson recently opened up about his high school life, and also admitted that he initially didn’t intend on going to his 30th high school reunion.
The 48-year-old American actor and singer then proceed on describing his miserable experiences in high school, writing:
“I wasn’t going to go to my 30th high school reunion. High School was a confusing, painful, awkward time for me. FAG was written on my locker more than once.”
However, it wasn’t all bad for him, as he was able to gain some positive core memories throughout his years in high school.
“But it wasn’t all miserable. Over the years I’ve conflated the experience in my mind. For there were also incredible, core memory moments. I realized during high school with the help of my music teacher Mark Caldwell that I wanted to be an artist. I realized through the mentorship of my track coach Pat Stahl that I had tremendous athletic potential, which was a shock to me,” Jackson recalled.
He also mentioned how he met his best friend in high school, expressing:
“I made a best friend, Chuck Green, who is the one who convinced me four months ago to go and be open to this experience.”
Moreover, the ‘Call Me Kat’ actor shared how his high school reunion went — including his encounter with his bully after 30 years.
“I’m so glad I did. I reconnected with and looked into faces I hadn’t seen in 30 years. We shared our struggles, our stories of losing parents. We walked the hallways of our tiny school and shared funny memories and anecdotes and I felt part of a community. It’s funny how we can reframe things. My high school bully apologized to me and I accepted it,” he wrote.
And it seems like Jackson has finally found peace with himself and his negative experiences in high school, as he concluded:
“I’m so proud to be a poor kid from the backwoods of the northwest. I don’t run from it anymore.”
My name is Mya these days, but it wasn’t always so.
I went to the same HS with Cheyenne, we sat together for 3 years, 2 periods a day in Mr. Caldwell’s classes. We were Show Choir members together. He was extraordinarily talented. He was also the epitome of closeted gay overcompensating “Christian” kid back then. He himself ridiculed another kid from our school that was force outed, he ridiculed me sometimes for socio- economic reasons.
Cheyenne was just 1 of 3 scared closeted LGBTQ kids in that room of 16 kids.
He didn’t dare come out himself until after he had left Newport behind. I didn’t either, but it took me decades more, I understand why he was reluctant, I understand why he was such a projector. I skipped my 30th at the same high school the year before, because I am not a big time actor that the town practically worships (they do), I’m a graying middle aged trans lady just trying to get by every day. He is an international star. Of course his reunion went great.
Regards
One of the other Backwoods Washington LGBTQ kids
Mya Rose
So many gay guys I know had similar experiences as him. The bullying I endured for being gay was the worst during Junior High to be honest. I have so much sympathy now for anyone who goes through bullying.