The saga surrounding Roy Ashburn's March 4 arrest for drunk driving continues to unfold, as the previously outspoken anti-gay activist uses the event to spur a gay rights campaign.

Ashburn was pulled over after leaving a gay bar in Sacramento, and he had a male companion with him at the time of his arrest. The Senator, a divorced father of 4, of a conservative district, Ashburn has decided to take a new approach to the issue.

He provided an exclusive interview to On Top Magazine, a prominent publication in the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) community, saying he is prepared to become an activist for the cause. Starting with the day he came out about his sexual orientation, Ashburn has changed the way he votes on gay rights bills.

In particular, Ashburn voted to repeal the decades-old "cure" mandate that previously existed in the California state code, mandating the Department of Mental Health investigate the "causes and cures" of homosexuality.

And about that DUI charge? Ashburn has publicly apologized, and he is awaiting resolution of the case in full. His state Senate term expires this year, and he is not expected to win re-election in his current district of Bakersfield. He was previously expected to seek a gubernatorial appointment but is no longer expected to do so. It is unclear whether the DUI charge or his association with the gay community has lead to his political decline in the conservative party he was once allied with.