As noon came and went Friday, Matthew Schwartz began to wonder whether the rally he had planned was even worth having.
Schwartz, a sophomore photography major, organized a rally for equality and acceptance through Queers for Peace and Justice, a national organization that aims to protect gay rights. After several complications and cancellations, just 14 people showed up for the event in front of Capen Hall.
But 14 was more than enough, said Schwartz, and the 10 Feminist Action Group members who made up a majority of the protestors. After all, when it comes to activism, size isn't everything, he said.
"We can't have a crowd of 300 people every time we want to have a demonstration," said Schwartz, who is also a member of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Alliance and is involved with International A.N.S.W.E.R., which stands for Act Now to Stop War and End Racism. "But as long as one person walks away with the message, I'll view it as a victory."
In Schwartz's eyes, Friday's small protest was one battle out of many in the fight for human rights.
"Some people take away the message we wanted, which was unity," he said. "Some people will hopefully go back and think about it, and in the end, that's what we were hoping for."
Marge Maloney, a Rainbow Peacekeepers member who spoke at the rally in support of gay marriage rights, echoed Schwartz's sentiments.
"It was not bad, given it was a beautiful day today, and people had a billion other things to do," said Maloney, who worked with the Peacekeepers against the right-wing Army of God last year to defend lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights. "The fact that people took the time to listen and respect was real significant."
The makeshift rally - which eventually moved from Capen to the front of the Student Union - was filled with catchphrases about equality and humanity, but the main message was that people need to accept, not just tolerate, others' differences.
"We're just here to have our message be heard," Sarah Birnie, a senior marketing and international business major with the Feminist Action Group, said into a megaphone.
How that message was received by observing students, however, was mixed.
Alicia Herrmann, a sophomore English major, said she supported the rally and that people shouldn't discriminate because of race, sex or age.
"It's important not to just tolerate, but to respect and embrace our differences. That's what I got out of it," Herrmann said.
Others who listened to the rally said they felt like the protestors were forcing their opinions on the crowd, and that the rally members undervalued the amount of acceptance there already is on campus.
"Personally, I just think they're whining too much," said Bill Basher, a freshman pharmacy major.
"I think we should have our own straight pride rally," said Jessica Buntillo, a freshman at Erie Community College who watched the rally.
Yet despite some negative reactions, the rally's activists consider any thoughts from the student body better than no thoughts at all, which is exactly the line of thinking the newly founded Feminist Action Group hopes to capitalize on in order to rid UB of years of political and social apathy.
"I think UB has a great apathy about politics on campus," said Lori Stein, a junior women's studies major and Feminist Action Group member. "We got some people up there clapping and cheering. Every little bit helps I guess."
"I think that we're operating in liberal atmosphere that is plagued by apathy," said Schwartz, who organized a rally against white supremacists on South Campus last September. "I think that students do care about the issues, but don't always have enough chutzpah to go out and do something."
According to Schwartz, he is not directly involved with the Feminist Action Group, but thinks it's "great that students are forming on-campus groups for issues that affect them."
Though still small and in its early stages, the Feminist Action Group is just one example of what might be a growing trend at UB, where a rich history of activism, awareness, and interest has been all but forgotten over the last decade.
The 10 or so members of the Feminist Action Group met last semester while taking the same class - Women's Studies 228 - in which they bonded and became close friends.
According to group member Birnie, by the end of the class, all of them were so excited about and interested in feminism that when their teacher, Beth Kwiatek, suggested they form a group. It was the instant birth of the Feminist Action Group.
"What we wanted to do was to bring a feminist voice onto campus," said Bernie, a women's studies minor. "We wanted it to be heard, and we wanted it to be visible."
While creating a feminist voice at UB was very much the goal in the forming of the Feminist Action Group, Birnie said the interest her group is trying to spark on campus is about a lot more than feminism.
"It's growing," said Birnie, who highlighted recent efforts by Students Against Sweatshops and anonymous groups that have been putting up fliers. "It may have just been my lack of awareness, but even from this year to last year, I see so much more going on."
And in Birnie's opinion, even though there will always be backlash against groups like hers, the Feminist Action Group has the opportunity to play a big role in UB's increasing activism by continuing to grow and thrive.
"Everything is building," she said. "It's getting louder, it's getting bigger, it's getting bolder."
"I know for a fact," she added, "that next year (the Feminist Action Group) is going to be bigger, better, and have a much more stronger and powerful message on campus.
A handful of students got a taste of that message at Friday's protest, but according to Birnie, there is a lot more to come.
Another hurdle in the Feminist Action Group's way is that it can be tricky to spark activism and awareness when the issue is not politics, but gender, in which case many people make feminism out to be a dirty word, she said.
"A big part of feminism is recognizing that all of our oppressions are connected, and we can join forces and make a difference," she said.
Already in one semester, the Feminist Action Group has taken many baby steps towards dispelling stereotypes and increasing its campus presence by handing out fliers, holding rallies, and doing events like an "anger wall" and an informative skit on a bus to Ellicott.
"If we made one person think today, we did our job," said Birnie.
But until the Feminist Action Group has not just one person, but the entire campus thinking, activists like Birnie and Schwartz say they will continue to organize, rally, and look toward a bright future.
"Hopefully we'll build up stronger throughout these next coming semesters and we'll tear down the wall that is dividing us, and instead build bridges of friendship," said Schwartz.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
