After the regional section of the country voted down an act proposal that would have limited account to women, men are now allowed to continue infiltrating the ranks of the nation’s oldest female-only hereditary society.
The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution ( DAR ) claimed the DAR board had rejected a proposed amendment that would strengthen the organization’s female-only admission requirements in a letter to one of its Texas-based chapters on Saturday.
The Martha Laird Chapter’s request in Mount. Pleasant, Texas and close to a dozen endorsing pages not only sought to define woman as” a biological female at conception, having only naturally occurring X genes, exclusive of Y genes, and certified as female or child on the original birth certificate” but also require world candidates to submit a” chromosomal DNA check” or” a notarized, sworn declaration affirming the birth certificate submitted is an unaltered, unamended original record indicating women or girl”.
The proposal was submitted in January by Martha Laird Section leaders after receiving confirmation from the Center for American Liberty that the DAR “is good an expressive relationship” that “would had a solid First Amendment protection” if it was sued for admitting only women. They hoped that the proposal would pass through the internal bylaw process of the DAR and quell the national chapter’s concerns about losing its nonprofit status due to discrimination allegations enough to gain a national vote at the organization’s 2025 summer Continental Congress.
The National Board of Management of the DAR, however, objected to the proposed bylaw amendment’s claim that it was” not appropriate subject matter for inclusion in the bylaws and not to be in the best interests of the National Society,” and that it was” not… suitable subject matter for inclusion in the bylaws and not be in the best interests of the National Society.”
In its statement to members, the NBM downplayed the movement to preserve the society’s women-only history by noting the chapters that initiated the proposal represent 738 members or “less than one-half of one percent” of the DAR’s total membership.
Feb. 8 statement from the National Board of Management obtained by The Federalist
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Laura McDonald, the chapter’s recording secretary, reported to The Federalist that her chapter was disappointed but not demoralized by the NBM’s decision to end the conversation.
The National Board of Management’s rejection of our proposal to define a woman in our bylaws sadly confirms what we already knew: leadership is taking a political stand that isn’t motivated by concerns about the loss of 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) nonprofit status, McDonald told The Federalist.
Additionally, Center for American Liberty issued a statement criticizing the DAR leadership for choosing to “bow to political pressures, despite the strict legal protections in place.”
” It’s ridiculous that we’re having to talk about this, having to fight so hard to keep our women’s society free of men”, McDonald said.
Resignation or Restoration?
The DAR was created in 1890 because the 1889 Sons of the American Revolution ( SAR )  , voted to exclude women from their patriotic organization. To this day, SAR firmly limits its membership to , males. The DAR, on the other hand, officially amended its policies with “additional non-discrimination language” in 2023 which opened the door to include transgender members.
A transgender woman is not a man, according to an internal DAR document that was first released in October of this year and was later obtained by The Federalist. Additionally, the FAQ makes it seem as though local chapters shouldn’t exercise discretion when awarding membership if doing so would violate the male-accommodating bylaws.
Internal DAR document obtained by The Federalist
Since the 2023 shift, more than a dozen DAR chapters across the U. S. have followed the society’s internal policy process in an attempt to change the bylaws to reflect its standing as a female-only organization. Those attempts, however, failed at the feet of the national chapter which refuses to budge on its concessions for confused men in costumes.
National DAR’s repeated rejection of the organization’s core tenet that applicants be women who “prove lineal, bloodline descent from an ancestor who aided in achieving American independence”, prompted an exodus of thousands of loyal DAR members. Between July 1, 2023, shortly after the DAR promoted its “inclusive” and “welcoming” approach to male membership, and October 9, 2024, 6, 469 total women departed from the DAR, according to internal records.
Members like McDonald, however, have stayed with the hopes that they can preserve the DAR’s mission.
” We members who make up the society, the bread and butter, the ones who just care about serving the community, honoring veterans, Wreaths Across America, why should we cede this historic institution to these women who have an agenda ultimately destroying it”? McDonald said. ” It’s a cultural battle. I feel very compelled to fight, to preserve and restore this American institution. In this confusing time, I believe we should serve as a beacon to provide some clarity.
DAR is explicitly a “non-political” organization. The organization’s fierce commitment to ignoring its members who wish to preserve the integrity of the society and its female-centric founding, McDonald said, has not discouraged her chapter from taking action.
” We don’t want to disparage the DAR. We don’t want to tear it down. We desire adoration for it. We want to keep it intact and make it right again. But we’re in a really strange predicament of having to call out our leaders”, she said.
At their upcoming meeting in March, the Martha Laird members are scheduled to vote on a new proposal that, according to McDonald, will “address the concerns the NBOM addressed in their rejection letter.”
The DAR has a chance, and it’s worthwhile to save it. I perceive the DAR as a tiny microcosm of America. It’s definitely something that’s worthy of saving and not just giving up”, McDonald said.
The Federalist staff writer and host of The Federalist Radio Hour, Jordan Boyd. Her work has also been featured in The Daily Wire, Fox News, and RealClearPolitics. Jordanian received her bachelor’s degree from Baylor University, where she majored in political science and minored in journalism. Follow her on X @jordanboydtx.
