Margaret Cho -- the talented, dirty, hilarious, shocking, gay-loving comedienne -- has been making audiences laugh for over 20 years.

Did I write laugh? No, I mean something bigger. I mean spit out your food and have your drink come up through your nose laugh. The fact that she loves and embraces the gays – men, women, MTF, FTM and everyone in between – makes me adore her even more.

Her new show, 'The Sensuous Woman,' currently playing off-Broadway's Zipper Theatre, is one of her most original and outrageous stage outings yet.

For this go-round, she's joined by Los Angeles bellydance and burlesque sensation Princess Farhana, emerging transgendered comic Ian Harvie, the burlesque performer Selene Luna, comic actor Liam Sullivan as internet rock-star Kelly, internationally acclaimed dancer and choreographer Ryan Heffington, New York downtown fave Miss Dirty Martini and sketch comedians Diana Yanez & Kurt Hall of the Gay Mafia Comedy Troupe of West Hollywood.

I was seriously excited to talk to Margaret. I found her to be candid, honest and flat-out cool. We talked about comedy, her love for the homos and trannies and the new show.

And for some reason I wanted her to get sorta dirty like only she can. Did she? Find out after the jump.

Sanford Marcus: Why hello there, Miss Margaret Cho.

Margaret Cho: Hey!

SM: So do people expect you to be funny all the time in real-life?

MC: I guess they do. I think there's an assumption that I'm going to be the same way, and have the same persona, in life that I do on stage. It IS part of who I am, but I think it would be obnoxious if I was funny like that all the time.

SM: Now that you're working in New York, do you have any favorite haunts? [Gay bars] Splash or Therapy, perhaps?

MC: You know, I love New York City – but I don't know it very well, which is kind of weird because I come here a lot. But when I come to New York, I'm often busy and consumed with work, so I don't really get a chance to do fun stuff. But this time is a good time for me to do that.

SM: I read that you took up bellydancing, which then inspired your new show. I have to ask: Why bellydancing?

MC: With bellydancing, I saw all of these women hanging out together. They were all different ages, all different sizes. And they were all showing off their bodies. And I thought that was an incredible thing because I'd never seen that before. I've been doing comedy for twenty-plus years and I never really hang out with other women. But I started hanging out with these bellydancers, these amazing women in these fun burlesque shows, and I knew this was a whole world I was excited to be a part of ... and then participate in.

SM: I also read that you said 'The Sensuous Woman' is "the gayest show you could have with women stripping in it." Tell me more ...

MC: I guess it's really a female drag show. I'm inspired by drag queens.

SM: Why's that?

MC: Drag queens are so political AND they're so entertaining. So I think what drag queens do is exciting and fun – but it's also important. There is romance in drag. Like opera, there's beauty and drama, there's glamor and pageantry, and I think it's a way for gay people to feel and be accepted. At the same time, I also think drag is a rejection of that, the wanting to be accepted into the mainstream. In the 50's, it was about being in the closet. There were no signs outside telling gay men what where things were happening for them. And drag came out of the repression.

SM: I never thought about it that way.

MC: And for that reason I think drag is an elemental desire of existence for gay men; it's a symbol of freedom and visibility.

SM: And your show features quite a bit of drag ...

MC: Absolutely. It's a drag show with women in it ... with biological men ... and with biological women who look like men. There's a lot of gender play – it deals with the fluidity of gender – and it's fun.

SM: Why, of all things, did you choose to do stand-up and not, oh, I don't know, taking tickets at the local movie theatre?

MC: Honestly, I was really good at it. And I wasn't afraid to do it. Acting in movies or on television is really scary for me; that world is frightening. But stand-up is the least intimidating for me. And for most people, it's the other way around. But stand-up is the purest art form and I find the greatest satisfaction performing it.

SM: Did you always have a big gay fan base or do you think it morphed into that by way of your comedy?

MC: I think it's always been that way. I started out in gay clubs and my upbringing with family and friends has always been gay. So I think naturally my comedy is very gay. In my act, I think I sound like a gay man.

SM: Come to think of it, you do! What's up with the bond between fag hags and their fags, meaning straight women and gay guys?

MC: For me, it's always been very maternal. But I think there are all kinds of different women for the relationship. And I have a big sisterly thing happening with a lot of my friends. And I also think it's about worship: Sometimes gay men worship fag hags because they think she's fabulous and fierce.

SM: So true.

MC: Right? It's like I'm really like a mom to all these kids. And not just gay guys. I'm a dyke hag and a big tranny hag, too; a majority of people I hang with are trans people, and I think that's pretty great.

SM: I heard you say once that even though you're married, you still identify as being "queer" ...

MC: My whole life is queer. All of my friends are queer. But I don't think being queer excludes heterosexuals. And I'm attracted to all different kinds of people. The fact that I'm in a relationship doesn't keep me from having feelings or being political.

SM: I also heard that on the True Colors Tour you, um, rapped about, uh, vaginas?

MC: I did! That's actually in my show. It's sung by a lesbian rap group called 'Mo & Angela.'

SM: Why, er, vaginas?

MC: It's fun to do music and something different. It's just another way to have and tell funny jokes.

SM: You have awards from GLAAD, The National Gay and Lesbian Task and from PFLAG. I think I need to thank you on behalf of the gays for looking out for us.

MC: I think it's all wonderful. Ultimately I'm doing it all for myself, because I'm just trying to make the world a better place for all of us.

SM: Before we hang up, is it true that you "admire" Jeff Stryker?

MC: Oh my God yes! I think he's awesome.

SM: Have you ever met him?

MC: I don't think so. But I got a gift from him once; I think he sent me a Jeff Stryker action figure or something.

SM: Is that ALL he sent?

MC: No, I think he sent me a dildo, too.

SM: I was waiting for you to get dirty.

MC: Is THAT dirty?

SM: Well, sure ... sort of ... a little ...

MC: Well then there you go.

SM: Thank you, Margaret Cho. Mission accomplished!