Returning as a Rainbow Sponsor of Greater Palm Springs Pride, the nonprofit community health center champions empathy, visibility, and health equity from the desert to the coast.
For more than four decades, DAP Health has stood proudly alongside the LGBTQ+ community. This November, the nonprofit community health center network will once again demonstrate that unwavering commitment as it returns as a longtime Rainbow Sponsor of Greater Palm Springs Pride, taking place November 5–8, 2026.
To amplify representation across the Coachella Valley—especially for individuals who are unable to attend the festivities—DAP Health is also serving as the Presenting Sponsor of NBC Palm Springs’ live stream of the Pride Parade, which begins at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, November 8.
The celebration is the centerpiece of another year of DAP Health Pride sponsorships and community outreach spanning Southern California, with additional partnerships already planned for 2027.
The organization’s GPSP theme for 2026, “Empathy Wins,” reflects one of DAP Health’s four core values and serves as a reminder of what communities can accomplish when people lead with compassion, celebrate their differences, and stand together to ensure everyone belongs.
“Empathy is at the heart of everything we do,” says DAP Health Chief Marketing Officer Steven Henke. “Our 2026 theme reflects our belief that when people feel seen, heard, and affirmed, communities are stronger and healthier. Pride gives us the opportunity to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community while reinforcing the values that guide our work every day, from compassionate care to health equity and inclusion.”
At the GPSP festival, members of DAP Health’s Community Health Department will offer rapid HIV tests, HIV self-test kits, condoms and lubricant, Narcan (naloxone), and fentanyl test strips — all of which will be free. They will also be on hand to provide harm reduction and overdose prevention education, sexual wellness and STI prevention information, referrals to DAP Health medical and sexual wellness services, and PrEP, PEP, and DoxyPEP HIV and STI prevention education. Finally, there will be giveaways and interactive activities.
Everyone Loves a Parade
On Sunday, DAP Health team members, volunteers, patients, donors, board members, and other supporters will join various LGBTQ+ and allied organizations in the annual Pride Parade down Palm Canyon Drive.
The organization’s contingent, No. 50, will gather by 9:15 a.m. before stepping off from the Uptown Design District at East Tachevah and North Palm Canyon Drives at 10:00 a.m. and proceeding south through downtown Palm Springs to East Amado Road.
Registered marchers will receive complimentary DAP Health Pride T-shirts featuring the “Empathy Wins” theme and logo, along with caps, while supplies last. Participants will carry signs reflecting the colors of the Progress Pride flag, DAP Health’s other core values, and messages such as “Health Care Is My Superpower” and “Seen. Heard. Affirmed.”
Along the parade route, marchers will distribute “Empathy Wins” bracelets and heart-shaped rainbow Pride stress balls, sharing messages of compassion, inclusion, and health equity with spectators.
A Legacy of Pride, From the Desert to the Coast
DAP Health’s commitment to LGBTQ+ communities is not new. It dates back to 1984, when gay and lesbian community volunteers founded Desert AIDS Project in response to the emerging AIDS crisis. At a time when people living with HIV and AIDS faced widespread fear, stigma, and discrimination, those volunteers stepped forward with compassion, determination, and a conviction that everyone deserved dignity and care.
More than 40 years later, that founding spirit remains central to DAP Health’s mission, even as the organization has evolved into a comprehensive community health center network serving almost 80,000 patients of all stripes at 23 fixed locations and six mobile units across Riverside and San Diego counties.
“LGBTQ+ communities are the foundation of our story,” says longtime DAP Health CEO David Brinkman, who celebrates 20 years of service in 2026. “Representation saves lives. When LGBTQ+ people see themselves celebrated openly, without fear, it affirms their worth and reduces stigma.”
GPSP is only one expression of DAP Health’s ongoing commitment to visibility, representation, and community connection. In 2026, the organization also participated in celebrations throughout the region, including:
- Cathedral City Pride (March 6–8): Presenting Sponsor.
- Oceanside Pride by the Beach (June 6): Major Sponsor.
- Indio’s Pride Celebration (June 13): Community Health outreach.
- San Diego Pride (July 18–19): Community Health outreach.
That support will continue in 2027, with DAP Health planning to sponsor:
- Cathedral City Pride (March 12–14): Presenting Sponsor.
- Oceanside Pride by the Beach (June TBA): Major Sponsor.
- Greater Palm Springs Pride (November TBA): Rainbow Sponsor.
Each partnership underscores the vital role Pride celebrations play in strengthening communities through joy, visibility, connection, and resilience. From the Coachella Valley to the San Diego coast, DAP Health believes that celebrating identity and promoting health are inseparable.
“Pride is a powerful reminder that being visible is part of being healthy,” says Henke. “When we celebrate the LGBTQ+ community in Palm Springs, we also celebrate the dignity of every person DAP Health serves. Our sponsorships are matched by our year-round support of local LGBTQ+ media — such as advertising in GED Magazine’s Guide to Pride and The Standard Palm Springs — because amplifying trusted community voices helps people feel seen, heard, and affirmed, and connects them to the care they deserve.”
More Than a Celebration: A Year-Round Commitment to Care
For DAP Health, Pride is not simply an annual celebration. It is an extension of a year-round commitment to ensuring that LGBTQ+ people can access comprehensive, compassionate, affirming health care without fear of discrimination or judgment.
That commitment includes HIV prevention and treatment, sexual wellness services, gender-affirming care, mental health services, and efforts to eliminate the financial and social barriers that too often prevent people from seeking care.
A national leader in HIV prevention, DAP Health operates the country’s largest PrEP intervention program among comparable organizations, offering free STI treatment and medication to help prevent new HIV infections.
In spring 2027, the organization plans to expand its LGBTQ+ health services with the opening of a new clinic and pharmacy within the North County LGBTQ Resource Center in Oceanside, strengthening access to affirming care in San Diego’s North County.
Meanwhile, changes in federal health care policy have created new challenges for many of the communities DAP Health serves. More than 6,000 patients have lost health insurance coverage this year because of HR1, yet the organization remains committed to caring for newly uninsured patients for $25 per visit or less. To help patients navigate these changes, DAP Health has also expanded outreach, developed online resources, educated patients about coverage options, and proactively contacted those who may have lost insurance. Its call center team provides individualized guidance on eligibility, re-enrollment, and available benefits, helping ensure that disruptions in coverage do not become disruptions in care.
DAP Health’s commitment to inclusive care also extends to other historically underserved populations. In 2027, the organization plans to open a new women’s health center at DAP Health Sunrise in Palm Springs, expanding access to preventive screenings, reproductive health services, chronic disease management, and comprehensive care for women throughout the Coachella Valley, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.
Together, these initiatives reflect an understanding that health equity requires more than medical treatment. It demands trust, respect, representation, and a willingness to meet people where they are. Philanthropic support, including funds raised through the organization’s annual The Chase gala, helps make these services possible.
Everyone Belongs
As DAP Health prepares to march once again through downtown Palm Springs, its message is both a celebration of its history and a promise for the future: Empathy wins when communities choose compassion over division, connection over isolation, and dignity over discrimination.
Whether marching in the parade, accessing resources at the festival, volunteering, donating, or simply cheering on from the sidelines, everyone is invited to participate in a celebration that reflects the values upon which DAP Health was founded.
For more information about DAP Health’s participation in Greater Palm Springs Pride, or to register to march with the organization’s contingent, please visit DAPHealth.org/Pride.
