I got all the same stuff in eighth grade and beyond, pretty much similar stuff that you described in various scenarios in various places, and nobody ever saw any punishment at all. At my school, even teachers would say "gay" as a synonym for "stupid" (like 'I know that sounds gay..." etc.). When I complained that saying that is the same thing as associating "Nigger" with undesirable, they told me I was being overly sensitive and it didn't mean anything and to get back to class.

So while I'd like to sit here and say your breakdown will fuel some sympathy and everybody will start to love you, it will change nothing. I had more than my shares of breakdowns, and the harsh truth is that nobody cares. In fact, all that happened was the other kids got even worse. Racism and sexism will land a student in all kinds of dragon fire, but heterosexism is pretty much ignored It's not fun, but there it is.

I am a cynical bastard, as you can see, and one day you will be, too. Because school will ruin you and squash out every last ounce of hope you have for the human race just like it does every gay student. The good news is one day all your emotions will die and you won't care what they say or do anymore and then it won't bother you like it does now.

Anyway, good luck in winning. Try to always keep mine that there's nothing different about you, only they make it so, and that makes it their problem and not yours. Anything they say or do is out of your hands, and the best you can do is try to be apathetic towards it all you can. As for the speech, I suck at speeches, so no advice. Congrats on being in the running and I hope you win.