3 PM TODAY! Orlando man will marry anyone for marriage equality

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to see if anyone shows up to marry Brian Feldman.

The Orlando performance artist is inviting any woman—as long as she is a legal citizen with no legal liabilities—to simply show up at the Orange County License Office in downtown Orlando on Feb. 8 at 3 p.m. His cause is to draw attention to laws that deny committed, same-sex couples the right to marry each other.

Of course, this could result in Feldman making a lifetime commitment to a woman he has never met. Feldman says he’s nervous about what could happen, but not as concerned as the attorney he spoke to before moving forward with the project.

“I know that there's some risk involved but I think it's worth doing and somebody had to do it,” Feldman said. “At the end of the day, this is really the least I could do, and I know that's odd to say, ‘The least you can do is get married?’”

He says it was the best method he could think of to draw attention to the issue of marriage equality.

If or when a potential wife shows up on Feb. 8, she and Feldman will fill out Orange County’s single page marriage application, show their photo IDs and then pay the $123.50 fee, plus $6 for a marriage certificate.

Feldman says he’ll pony up this part.

“They’re taking the leap just by showing up, so I’m happy to do it,” he says.

The new couple will then wait the required 3-day period, returning at 3 p.m. on Feb. 12 to be married by a clerk of the court.

If more than one willing wife shows up on Feb. 8, Feldman says he has a test planned to determine who gets to say “I do.”

“The ultimate outcome is me showing up and there’s someone there who believes in what I’m trying to do and agrees to get married for the cause,” he says. “If no one shows up, I have to figure out a way to change the project, which I’ve done in the past. I find a way around it.”

Feldman says that of the 50 or so performance art projects he’s done so far, this one has gotten the most attention and support. At this point, he’s only gotten positive feedback.

“I’m surprised! I’m waiting [for negative feedback] with bated breath,” he said.

Brian Brown, executive director of the National Organization for Marriage, is the first in line.

“Obviously this degrades marriage in the same way redefining marriage would degrade marriage,” Brown says. “Marriage by its nature the union of a man and a woman and if you change that, you can change anything. I think [Feldman’s project] will highlight and strengthen the resolve of people that marriage is between a man and a woman.”

When asked how exactly Feldman’s project would do that, Brown replied, “Clearly this is a PR stunt and people are going to see it as such. Also, people understand that if you have this little respect for marriage, how can people take [Feldman’s project] seriously?”

In the meantime, Feldman is still thinking about the woman who might show up and why she should.
“I’m a nice person,” he said. “I enjoy smiling and bicycling and I organized Pillowlando, the most fun event in Orlando history,” he said, describing the annual pillow fight held in downtown.

In lieu of wedding gifts, Feldman asks that people donate to Equality Florida or the Human Rights Campaign.