Why she made the list: Melissa raised a lot of eyebrows when she walked away from her sweet gig on Q100’s Bert Show. It was a move that took true guts as Melissa had nothing solid lined-up career wise. Many people expected her to fade into the background, but instead she made her presence even larger. She now writes a regular column for the Georgia Voice, she makes very regular appearances at major LGBT events and she continues to fight for all things LGBT. She may not be heard every morning on your commute, but trust us when we tell you her voice still carries.

What else you need to know: In 2002 Melissa required a kidney transplant to save her life. Since the surgery she has used her platform to raise awareness and funds through the Melissa Carter Transplant Fund at Piedmont Hospital.

Why he made the list: In a world saturated with blogs, magazines and websites Matt Hennie realized there really wasn’t a local resource for all things queer. That realization led to Matt founding Project Q Atlanta. In the three years since the launch, Project Q has become the go to source for LGBT news and information. None of this has come easily. Matt along with his business partner Mike Fleming work tirelessly to make sure all the gays in Atlanta know where to go, what to do and who to know. Of course the daily posting of a hot guy in various poses doesn’t hurt either.

What else you need to know: Before Matt launched the Q he spent five-years as the editor of Southern Voice. Overall he has been dishing dirt and takin’ names for about seventeen-years.

Why he made the list: Don has led a very public life in front of the camera with stints in several major market TV newsrooms and as a correspondent for Today and NBC Nightly News. In 2006, he settled behind the news desk at Atlanta’s CNN center and, for the most part, his personal life was never the story. That is until early 2011 when he came out as a gay man in his book “Transparent.” “Today I chose to step out on faith and begin openly living my own truth,” he said in an official statement. Since then Don has become the defacto-spokesman for various segments of the LGBT community. He now publicly supports great LGBT causes like YouthPride and GLAAD. One of the most rewarding outcomes of his transparency is the fact that others are also being inspired to lead a life of truth and honesty. Despite those who said that he couldn’t come out and be a news anchor, Don has become even more influential and is routinely called on by CNN to cover some of the most important issues of our day.

What else you need to know: During a 2010 interview with Eddie Long’s congregation he admitted to being a victim of sexual abuse as a child, this was a fact he kept secret from most of the world, including his own mother, until he was 30 years-old. Don now speaks frankly about his experiences in an effort to let others in similar situations know it is okay to reach out for help. “I believe grace healed me I was luckier than most that I could disconnect and let it be the past.”

Why she made the list: Debi has long been a vocal ally to the LGBT community. Debi’s complete acceptance of the gay community allowed her son to come out to her without the fear of being rejected. Shortly after her son opened up to her she realized there were lots of people who would be shunned by their families if they were to come out as gay. This realization lead to Debi penning a book named “Three Grim Fairy Tales and a Happy Ending”. The book is a message to parents of LGBT children which aims to give them a different view of their gay children.

What else you need to know: Debi was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, but grew up in Garden Grove, California. She has been in the ATL so long she is known as “Mama Deb”.

Why she made the list: When Kirsten and her fiancée (now wife) Maria were planning their wedding they discovered a “gaping hole” in magazines and websites aimed at same-sex marriage planning. Because of this they had a very hard time finding gay and gay-friendly vendors for their wedding. With that thought in mind they launched “Equally Wed” together. Now as editor-in-chief and publisher respectively they have created a place for engaged LGBT couples to easily navigate the world of same-sex wedding planning.