Stephen Colbert speaks out against intolerance of intolerance

Stephen Colbert's career has earned him a loyal and well-deserved gay audience. His resume includes a hilarious turn as a closeted history teacher on Strangers with Candy (both the television show and the recent film adaptation), as well being one of the voices behind The Ambiguously Gay Duo and Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law.

On The Colbert Report -- itself a spinoff of the similarly gay-friendly Daily Show -- his alter-ego (a parody of an ultra-conservative TV pundit) often discusses gay issues with an level of insight and wit rarely seen. In his coverage, Colbert frequently points out the absurdities of anti-gay positions while hinting at his character's repressed homosexuality.

On last night's Report, "The Word" focused on the opposition to including sexual orientation in hate crime legislation:

As usual, Colbert does a great job pointing out the ridiculousness of an argument by having his character (one of the many "uninformed, high-status idiot" characters he's played skillfully) speaking in its favor. Colbert is a master at using the power of parody to highlight hypocrisy, making him a powerful gay-friendly voice.