Melissa Carter, co-host of Q100's "The Bert Show" and co-host of "Radio With a Twist," a nationally syndicated show broadcast in 14 major cities, is Atlanta's first openly gay radio personality. It's not a mantle she sought, but it's one she accepts willingly, and she hopes it will inspire others to pursue their dreams.

"I came out without the security of knowing that it would be OK, and it has been fantastic," she said. "My career has never been hindered, and at times — as in 'Radio With a Twist' — it has been advanced because of my sexuality. I know how lucky I am."

For Carter, being publicly gay is about authenticity.

"I have a good, old-fashioned Southern temper, and if I'm living in a way that's not authentic, I'll implode. I can't fake it for very long, so I've told the truth, and I haven't cried myself to sleep at night since I was 25. That's the litmus test," she said.

Growing up in the small town of Columbia, Tenn., Carter was uncomfortable with her sexuality until she went to the University of Tennessee and discovered the gay community. She majored in communications, with an emphasis in TV news. After graduating, she took a sales and marketing job with Turner Broadcasting, hoping it would lead to an on-screen job.

"I was rejected at least twice by every network," she said.

A chance encounter with former 99X radio host Jimmy Baron led to a writing job with the morning show in 1995. Carter had worked as a DJ for a local radio station in high school and soon became a regular on the show. In 2001, Bert Weiss joined sister station Q100 to produce "The Bert Show" and interviewed Carter for a news-anchor slot.

"I told him I was a lesbian and would never be anything else, that I had been openly out on the radio. He said he never expected me to be anything but myself," Carter said. "He's never pigeonholed me into a stereotype, and the ratings haven't suffered.

"Atlanta has one of the biggest gay populations in the country, and it's a fantastic place to live. It's to Atlanta's credit that, when Twist radio was searching for a lesbian radio personality, they couldn't find one in New York or L.A., but the South could produce one."

With the Federal Communications Commission allowing more local stations because of population growth and expanded bandwidth, Atlanta's radio market is a highly competitive environment. Carter counts it an accomplishment and a privilege to have been at the same radio company for 12 years.

She has found that radio offers a great opportunity for minority voices to be heard.

"Radio is a spontaneous, in-the-moment medium, where you can talk about whatever is happening," she said. "Unlike TV, when delivering the news, you can generate conversation. You can get people talking about a topic — whether it has to do with sexuality, race or culture — [and] let them get in touch with how they feel about an issue. Talking can bring about change in a subtle way."

Atlanta's Gay Pride Parade is not so subtle, but Carter said that being asked to be the grand marshal in 2002 was one of her proudest moments.

"I was on dialysis at the time and awaiting a kidney transplant but didn't have one lined up yet, so mortality was always on my mind," she said. "You start thinking about whether your life has served some purpose."

Carter recalled attending her first Gay Pride Parade in 1992. "At the end, I followed the parade into the park. I looked down Piedmont [Avenue] in one direction and then the other and realized there were thousands of gays and lesbians. It was the first time I didn't feel completely alone."

Ten years later, she felt she had come full circle. "To be symbolically at the front of the parade was such an honor and a very meaningful moment for me," she said.

Carter received a life-

saving kidney transplant later that year and shows her gratitude by volunteering with the National Kidney Foundation, the American Kidney Fund and the Georgia Transplant Foundation. She also competes in tennis at the biennial U.S. Transplant Games.

"I'm competitive and would love to medal, but transplant recipients are tough," she said.

Her successful career and a second chance at life have given Carter a sense of responsibility.

"I'm a lifeline and a mentor for some people who haven't had the nurturing family and work environment that I've had," she said. "Gay teens who are confused and scared write me all the time. I want them to be able to [see the possibilities] and think, 'Hey, wait a minute: She's gay and in a relationship and no one makes fun of her and she has a great job . . .'

"It's an honor to be the gay voice in Atlanta radio, but I don't want to be the only one, and I don't want it to go away, either. So I'll stand here and pave the way until someone better at it comes along."