Meanwhile, a statement in support of the ban by the Reverend Billy Graham appeared in 14 North Carolina newspapers over the weekend.

BBC: North Carolina approves constitutional ban on gay union

Here, with the guidance of an actual cleric named Sidney Lanier, Talen dreamed up the character of a street preacher named Reverend Billy.

FORBES: Reverend Billy and His Crusade Against Consumerism

The idea of Reverend Billy is relatively simple: blind, mindless consumerism is harmful, to society, to families, to individuals and, ultimately, to the earth.

FORBES: Reverend Billy and His Crusade Against Consumerism

Reverend Billy is the stage persona created by a man named Bill Talen, 60, who grew up in a strict Dutch Calvinist household in the Middle West.

FORBES: Reverend Billy and His Crusade Against Consumerism