Out Atlanta radio
host's tax protest fizzles

When Atlanta morning radio personality Melissa Carter, an out lesbian, decided to protest the 1,138 rights and benefits available to married couples under federal laws and regulations--and to which gay couples are not entitled--by withholding $1,138 from her taxes this year, she didn't expect to come up short. But that's what happened when her accountant told her she wouldn't owe nearly that much, reports The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Even worst-case scenario, I only owed $200!" Carter, who cohosts Q100's Bert Show every morning, told the paper. "So much for my big act of civil disobedience." Carter had also planned to send a letter to the Internal Revenue Service explaining that her withholding of the amount was a protest against the lack of marriage equality in this country. She will be honored with a Community Leadership Award next month by the Human Rights Campaign for raising LGBT visibility in her five years on the air. (The Advocate)