LPL is at the forefront of planetary and space sciences, and as such must stand as an ally to and in solidarity with its community members regardless of sex, race, age, national origin, immigration status, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, intellectual and physical ability, income, faith and non-faith perspectives, socio-economic class, political ideology, education, primary language, family status, military experience, cognitive style, and communication style, and all people who intersect these groups. We strongly believe that the science and knowledge we pursue every day is not only a human pursuit, but also strengthened through the participation of these historically minoritized groups.

All of us in planetary science must recognize that past practices in STEM fields have not been welcoming or encouraging to these groups. To move forward, we must all actively engage in counteracting the ongoing issues these groups face within our field.

To help raise awareness, provide resources, and produce an accessible platform for these problems, we developed the Department Life Committee (DLC). The DLC exists as an important resource for anybody in the department who is experiencing problems at LPL, regardless of employment status or the nature of challenges. It is also a platform from which to gain access to UA and community resources, information, and training on how to be an ally, bystander intervention, and safespace training. Updates will be ongoing, as our awareness and actions to address these problems evolve.