Last night at the Emery Awards, created to commend those who provide “a safe and supportive environment for all young people — regardless of their sexual orientation or identity,” Glee’s Ryan Murphy was the guest of honor. Cheyenne Jackson was there, too, and it seemed like a good time to get the theater vet talking about his high-school experiences. “I was a nerd,” Jackson told Vulture. “I was a big, gay linebacker nerd. As soon as I found music and other kinds of misfit kids like me, I started to blossom. But I definitely wasn’t cool.” And what about your love life? “I had girlfriends, [but] I knew something was up. I didn’t know to call it that. I would say I was definitely in love with my best friend, a beautiful Mormon boy. Oh, those Mormon boys.” For more celebrities talking about the days of locker rooms and lunch ladies, click through our Party Lines slideshow.