President Obama issued a statement late Tuesday that he is “disappointed” that North Carolina passed Amendment 1, which will add a line to the state’s constitution declaring that marriage between one man and one woman is the “only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized.” The law will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2013. Fueled by religious voters—and with the high-profile support of evangelist Billy Graham—Amendment 1 passed 61 percent to 39 percent, and the state had one of its largest primary-voter turnouts in years. Gay-rights groups already planned protests against the bill to begin Wednesday, and same-sex couples in Wilson and Durham will seek marriage licenses. Two protesters were arrested in Asheville on Tuesday night.
