SACRAMENTO – Conservative state Sen. Roy Ashburn, just days after his DUI arrest last week, officially came out of the closet today in a radio interview in his hometown of Bakersfield.

Ashburn discussed his sexual orientation - the subject of much speculation after reports surfaced last week that he frequented gay bars - during the interview on KERN radio.

"I am gay ... those are the words that have been so difficult for me for so long," Ashburn told Inga Barks, a conservative talk show host on KERN.

Ashburn has voted 100 percent against every single piece of LGBT-friendly legislation during his eight years in the Senate and six years in the Assembly. He has railed against the gay community for years, raising wads of campaign cash while appeasing the ultra-conservative voters in his district.

The Bakersfield Republican represents parts of Inyo, Kern, San Bernardino and Tulare counties.

Ashburn, 55, is a divorced father of four and a grandfather of two. He was accused of drunken driving just after 2 a.m. March 3, shortly after seen leaving the Faces gay bar with an unidentified younger male.

The senator, who had been in seclusion since his arrest, finally went public with his story during the radio interview.

"When I crossed the line and broke the law and put people at risk, that's different, and I do owe people an explanation," Ashburn told Barks.

Ashburn was driving his Senate-owned vehicle, a Chevrolet Tahoe, at the time of his arrest.

"The best way to handle that is to be truthful and to say to my constituents and all who care, that I am gay," Ashburn said. "But I don't think it's something that has affected, nor will it affect, how I do my job."

Gay-rights groups might beg to differ.

Ashburn’s dismal record by opposing gay-rights measures has earned the senator a zero rating from Equality California, which advocates for gay rights and other causes.

“We can empathize with Senator Ashburn’s long and difficult journey to admit that he is gay,” said Geoff Kors, executive director of Equality California.

“Equality California looks forward to working with the Senator to use his experience to educate the people in his district on why he deserves the same rights and privileges as a gay man as any other Californian.

“Senator Ashburn said he has voted against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender-rights measures because of the preferences of voters in his district, but to date, no legislator has lost his or her seat for supporting Equality California-sponsored legislation. This includes legislators in a number of conservative districts, including in Bakersfield, Fresno and the Salinas Valley,” Kors said.

“Although we question the Senator’s claim that an overwhelming majority of voters in his district support employment and housing discrimination against LGBT individuals – bills he voted against, we are working hard to build support across the state among voters in all districts.”