Brandi Burgess wants you to know she loves her dad. And her dad loves her.

That's not at issue. That's not the issue.

Brandi's dad is Rick Burgess of Rick & Bubba, the conservative comic radio powerhouse heard on more than 50 stations from its base in Birmingham to Fairbanks, Alaska. It's a show with a massive voice, rooted in the humor of the erstwhile "sexiest fat men alive." It's also a show where Rick expresses a devout Christian faith and literal conservative theology.

Brandi, now 27, grew up with and sometimes on that show. From college she taught the cast of radio characters how to hold their mouths to talk less ... Southern. More recently she called in from Eastern Europe after teaching locals phrases like "Hey y'all" or "War Eagle."

But she felt, in her later appearances, anyway, that it was a lie. Because she was not who her dad wanted her to be. She was not what the audience thought her to be.

"I am a queer person living in Philadelphia," is how she put it to me in the form of introduction. "I am an actor, theater maker, and educator. I am an activist for gender equality, feminism, social justice, and a better tomorrow."

Brandi Burgess has a story. And she feels compelled to tell it.

Brandi and Rick Burgess. (special)

It is not so much about Rick or her family or their admonitions for her to repent. She says over and over that her father has never done anything that wasn't - in his eyes - rooted in love and concern, both for her and for the God he believes in. He has merely lived his life as he has preached his beliefs on and off the show.

But that doesn't mean it hasn't been painful to hear that people like her are bound for hell, that she - as she has been told by her father - has been corrupted by the world and is living a lie.

Brandi's could be the story of thousands of LGBTQ men and women born to evangelical families. It's one of guilt and shame and a kind of eventual courage. The only difference is the platform of her father.

"I've been used as an example of sin and cast in the role of the modern day prodigal daughter," she said. "I have had evangelicals show up at my door unannounced, begging for me to repent. I have had strangers writing my names on stones in Jerusalem."

It's not that Rick condemns her on the show. He has spoken of her in generalities in Bible studies posted on the Rick & Bubba website, and is clear he loves his daughter, even if he disapproves of the life she leads.

Rick declined to comment on Brandi's decision to tell her own story, saying he would comment on his own show. "God has given me my own platform in which to clearly state my views on this issue that is impacting our society and the church," he said.

And that, frankly, is the reason Brandi feels compelled to speak.

The weight of her father's voice - taken as gospel by so many adoring fans -- has begun to drag on her own conscience.

Brandi and Rick Burgess (special)

She knows what it's like to hear words of condemnation - even when not aimed specifically at her. She knows what it's like to feel hurt and doubt and disapproval. She worries for kids in church who hear that message and think only that they are broken.

But she knows love and acceptance and faith build courage. She was raised in the church and holds to a profound belief in God. But her God is vast and complex and hard to limit.

So in the shadow of one of Alabama's largest voices, she has found her own. It is not meant to disparage her father. It is meant, she said, to provide another side.

"I have been silent," she said. "I have apologized. I have wept. I have gone to therapy. And now, I need to tell my story. I need to tell other queer people or feminists or activists that their voice matters, that they are not alone."

She speaks so others will not retreat inside of themselves and be untrue to themselves, or wallow in shame or guilt, or hurt themselves.

"I cannot hear another story of someone dying or getting beat up or killing themselves without sharing my voice," she said. "Without saying I did all I could to fight in the name of love."

Brandi Burgess (special)

So she's out now for all the world to see. Out of his shadow, and the expectation of fans, into the light of her life.

She knows there will be blowback, but she's OK with it.

Because she vows now that her goal for the future is to live braver. She wants to stop "hiding in the Northeast," to return South to watch her hometown grow. She wants to help others tell their stories.

"Mostly though, I am going to live my life," she said. "Fully. Without shame. I am going to become the person I have always wanted to be."

So she follows her principles. As her father follows his own.