By ZACK ROSEN
Friday, June 15, 2007

Ah, to be Margaret Cho. The raunchy comedian is adored by men and women alike, gay and straight, all over the country. And unlike most celebrities, she can be completely honest about adoring them back.

“I’m just queer,” says Cho, who has remarked in her act that she was neither gay nor straight, but slutty. “I want everybody to love me — I’m not bi, I’m I.”

Cho will be performing at the Merriweather Post Pavilion on Sunday, June 17, when she hosts Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors Tour. Staged in conjunction with the Human Rights Campaign to raise money for the gay rights group as well as for Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays and the Matthew Shepard Foundation, True Colors will offer more than four hours of performances by gay or gay-friendly musicians like Lauper, Rufus Wainwright and Erasure.

Coached by Lauper herself, Cho will be mixing some musical performances, as well as other surprises, into her routine. Each act was hand-selected by Lauper, and the comedian’s politically relevant views and passion made her a logical choice to be the show’s mouthpiece.

“[Cho] is genuinely excited about all the talent there, and it’s great to have her introducing the groups,” says HRC President Joe Solmonese. “I think what [Lauper] was really looking for was someone who could, for four or five hours, keep people inspired and laughing.”

Cho’s signature mix of humor and empowerment lies at the heart of her popularity. In 2000’s “I’m The One That I Want,” her breakout performance movie, Cho talked about her experience making “American Girl,” a short-lived ABC sitcom. Cho was told by the network that she was alternately too Asian and not Asian enough and was bullied into a crash diet that landed her in the hospital.

In between riffs on sex and stereotypes during Sunday’s show, Cho plans on sneaking in a message of self-acceptance, a theme developed from her earliest days, that will ring true with anyone who has felt marginalized.

“[The tour] has the same function as Gay Pride,” she says. “We can see who we are and have fun together and have a sense of how far we’ve come as a community. It’s rocking, but its ultimate goal is to rid the world of hatred and homophobia. We’re showing a lot of stuff with Matthew Shepard that’s deep and intense, and I think the community will be so moved.”

RAISED IN SAN FRANCISCO in the early days of AIDS, Cho was never far from a sizeable gay population or the activism evinced by groups like ACT UP. Though some Cho fans believe that her comedy has gained a social conscience at the expense of actual humor, she asserts that her jokes and her message cannot be separated.

“[American gays] really need to protect themselves against this government,” says Cho. “I’m a comedian but my activism is there, it’s just part of my life.”

Apart from the politics of the day, True Colors is a musical spectacular that Cho likens to her own “personal Oz fest” due to the quality of the lineup. Cho has a particular attachment to Boston duo the Dresden Dolls because of their friendship and shared True Colors tour bus, but additional acts like The Gossip, Blondie’s Debbie Harry and, of course, Lauper are also high on her list.

“Everyone remotely involved with the show has a crush on Debbie Harry,” Cho says. “She looks great and so does Cyndi Lauper. Their beauty is iconic, eternal and enduring.”

There’s been some speculation that Cho is currently enjoying the beauty of the dashing Ian Harvey, a self-identified “female-to-X” transgender comedian. Though Harvey is Cho’s soon-to-be tour partner, Cho is unusually coy about the extent of their involvement. Cho has been married for nearly four years to Al Ridenour.

“I’m seeing multiple people, lots and lots and lots of people. Everybody is special,” says Cho. “I wouldn’t say that [Harvey and I] are not together and I wouldn’t say that we are.”

Harvey and Cho both performed aboard the all-gay Queen Mary 2 trans-Atlantic crossing May 29-June 4 sponsored by RSVP Vacations.

After True Colors, Cho will be supporting the upcoming release of “Bam Bam and Celeste,” her first feature film. Following that will be “The Serious Woman,” a comedy, dance and burlesque off-Broadway show, after which Cho will begin work on another big tour: her own.