Lauren Esposito, Ph.D., is an arachnologist and curator at the California Academy of Science and co-creator of 500 Queer Scientists, a grassroots visibility campaign for LGBTQ+ people and allies in STEM and beyond. Esposito says the entomology community has made positive strides in recent years in welcoming LGBTQ+ scientists. And, for fellow entomologists, she emphasizes that “ally is an active word,” adding: “One of the best ways to do that is just to say something when you observe something wrong. It takes the pressure off of people from historically marginalized or oppressed communities when other people speak up in the moment.” (Photo by Kathryn Whitney, California Academy of Sciences)