On stage, Margaret Cho can whip a crowd of homos into an absolute frenzy. Extolling the virtues of voting Democratic and demanding equal rights, she is as comfortable as the Lord Goddess of Common Sense as she is as one of the grande dames of self-effacing storytelling.

Her shows – I'm the One that I Want, The Notorious C.H.O. and Assassins – have become increasingly political in a tenuous time for queers. Yet, the comic tends to preach to the choir for much of the time. Those who know Margaret Cho also tend to agree with much of what she has to say. If only the fever pitch that she raises could translate into votes in each election.

Lately, Cho has a lot on her plate: a tour that brings her into Gainesville, Orlando and Tampa; a new movie, Bam Bam and Celeste, that she wrote; a new album recorded at a Freedom to Marry benefit; and a DVD release of her one-season 1993-94 sitcom, All-American Girl, which includes some bittersweet – and often incredulous, given the short-short skirts she wore – commentary on four episodes.

Yet another woman lurks in much of her work: Mommy, the sweetly gay-tolerant bookstore owner with a heavy Korean accent and a curiosity about magazines called Ass Master. In fact, as Cho herself grows older and much wiser (she's now 37), she slips from her girlish chirp into Mommy's hoarse bray more and more easily.

Mommy pops up in Cho's new film. And, had Fox television executives seen the light, Cho would have played Mommy in a weekly sitcom next fall. It couldn't have been worse than the network's The War at Home, or a more unpleasant experience for the actress than Girl.

The always-accommodating Cho – who has been profiled by Watermark almost as often as Cyndi Lauper – spent a few minutes chatting about Mommy, the difficult political situation, belly dancing and her tour through Florida.

WATERMARK: Are your appearances here part of the Assassins tour?

MARGARET CHO: Not really. I'm writing a new show, so I'm trying out some material and pulling from some old ones with this tour.

What is We Will Shoot You?

That's my show that I'm doing in London – it's kind of a best-of compilation. I'm doing it at the Majesty Theatre right before I come to Florida.

You're also in London for the release of Bam Bam and Celeste. When will it debut over here?

There's some distribution issues that we have to deal with. We've got a distributor, but it may be some time.

What's the genesis for Bam Bam?

It's the story about what would have happened to me if I hadn't gone anywhere and just hung out with my friend and never left San Francisco. It's a fag and fag hag love story.

Bruce Daniels is in this with you – he's opened for you several times.

And he's doing some of the tour dates with me this time. He is so good. We've been working together for about four years. We always have a good time.

Mommy is in Bam Bam, isn't she?

Mommy is great in it, just great.

You had a sitcom pilot for Fox called Mommy this spring. What happened to it?

It didn't work out. We wrote it and something happened, I'm not sure what.

Mommy is always a highlight in your shows. Beyond your live shows, I guess the closest we get to her is Amy Hill's character in All-American Girl. I actually paid retail for that DVD.

Why, thank you.

What was the idea behind the release? Was it for gay guys like me to look for the precise moment of your breakdowns?

I just don't know. Somebody said they wanted it and released it. It's good for the historical television element – I was the first Asian (woman) to headline a sitcom.

The commentary from you and Amy Hill suggests that it wasn't a completely miserable experience.

It was a fun process. But I watch it now and think, "What a weird kind of comedy that was," knowing what I do now. Very weird.

The clothes were great – so early 1990s.

I stole some of them. I steal things from my movie sets too, if I want them.

I must kiss your ass for a moment: You're looking great these days. Belly dancing?

That's right. It's all because of stripper class and belly dancing. I really love it. I have worked in standup for so long and I've always been surrounded by men. This puts me with women – and I've wanted to do something to bring me closer to women. I'm having a ball. (Suhaila Designs even has a special line of Margaret Cho-inspired belly dancing clothes.)

You'll be in Gainesville for one of your Florida dates. Are university dates different than others?

It's always a different vibe from them – really invigorating. I can't remember when I was that young.

Tell me about it. I'm broaching my mid-40s tomorrow.

Congratulations.

I saw the Go-Go's last night and now my hip hurts from dancing. I think the only ones there older than me were the Go-Go's themselves.

Aww, poor baby.

If I had my glasses, I could read about what you're doing on this new Wed-Rock. Do you sing?

I do sing during that concert – really, really badly. I come out on stage with John Cameron Mitchell and he sings with my Hedwig. I sing Origin of Love. It's hysterical.

This is a benefit for Freedom to Marry, which is working toward marriage equality. What do you think has to happen before gays and lesbians are allowed to marry?

We need to be very vocal about changing the way things are and really demanding that we get what we want. That's what the Right is doing. We need to do what they're doing – and understand that we're entitled to a voice.

I hope that it doesn't take losing more rights to get us motivated. But it's getting worse. The Right feels very entitled – they're given rights because they're closer to God – and we're not as committed. Sometimes, there's this weird underlying vibe that we should be grateful even to be here and they act like they're entitled to more rights because of their religious beliefs.

By not acting and providing a stronger opposition, we're actually giving them credence.

Is part of the problem that the GLBT community is so diverse?

No. The diversity is so important because it is so encompassing and covers so much ground. Yet we just stand by and watch this administration f--- us over.

I love that you use the word "us" instead of "you."

It's weird when I go to these benefits and people have to point out that "I'm here, but I'm straight." It's not about sexuality. It's about dignity and rights. No one questioned the white students when they marched with Martin Luther King. W