Support, advocacy, and community action.

Diversity Alliance of the Puget Sound (DAPS) is a 501c3 Non Profit Organization that works to empower marginalized communities by providing mutual aid, advocacy, safety consultation, and trained volunteer security teams as an alternative to police presence at events. Prioritizing dignity, safety, and community care, we focus on protecting marginalized communities, fostering trust, and creating secure spaces where all individuals feel respected and valued. Through comprehensive training and community collaboration we aim to build a model of community-led safety that is inclusive, accountable, and just. By equipping communities with the training and resources needed to ensure secure, accessible, and inclusive spaces, we strive to reduce harm, build trust, and empower communities to take charge of their own safety in a way that is just, accountable, and centered on human dignity. DAPS believes that safety is a fundamental right, not a privilege.

DAPS started as the Tacoma Transgender Support Group (TTSG) in the late 1990’s then later became an official non-profit as Gender Alliance of the South Sound (GASS) out of Tacoma, WA. For 20+ years GASS served the South Sound and established social groups, founded TDOR Tacoma, the Transgender Speakers Bureau, and began our Name Aid and Scholarship programs. In the summer of 2020 we decided it was time to expand our service area to the entire State and any state without readily accessible resources, with that we needed to change our name. We officially became DAPS and spent an amazing 4 years running 8 groups per week, TDOR Tacoma and Seattle, running yearly holiday meals, crossing the state each summer for 7-13 Prides, and various other events. In 2025 we moved into a 2nd Trump Administration it was clear that the needs of the Trans and entire LGBTQIA+ community were refocusing, and with that so was our organization; we restructured once again and brought in Securing Our Own People (SOOP), a volunteer security and medical team (est. 2018) to take the helm and focus us on mutual aid and security.