This weekend during their national convention, far too many members of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) caved to political correctness. The organization refused to define what a woman is.

This is something that has been brewing for several years now. 

The Daughters of the American Revolution has recently found itself grappling with a controversy over its admissions policies that might come as a surprise to outsiders. The DAR—a nonprofit society for women who can trace their lineage to someone who participated in the American Revolution—recently said it’s open to accepting transgender women, a move that created a stir in the right-wing press and among some members.

The DAR says it was less of a policy change than just new language in its bylaws that clarifies its existing stance against discrimination. But at a yearly conference over the summer, a member asked if this policy meant that chapters weren’t allowed to vote to exclude trans women. Pamela Rouse Wright, who runs the DAR, affirmed that doing so would amount to discrimination. “Some have asked if this means a transgender woman can join DAR or if this means that DAR chapters have previously welcomed transgender women,” Wright wrote in a subsequent newsletter. “The answer to both questions is, yes.”

That sentiment is encouraging to some advocates. “It’s a powerful statement,” says Ben Takai, who is on the board of directors of the local LGBTQ+ advocacy group Metro DC PFLAG. “The DAR is not necessarily seen as a progressive organization, but to have their president say, ‘We are going to respect these people’. . . that sends a message.”

Daughters of the American Revolution. DAUGHTERS.  

That bluntly means biological women who can trace their lineage directly back to those who fought in and supported our American Revolution. The organization itself was started in response to the SONS of the American Revolution. As in biological males who can trace their ancestry back to the Revolution. 

Yet here comes the national board who decided to bend a knee to inclusivity instead of adhering to the reasons and history as to why the organization is about the Daughters of the American Revolution. 

Those wanting to keep DAR as intended, put forth a proposal earlier this spring. 

The Daughters of the American Revolution leadership has nixed a proposal to ban transgender women, fending off for the second time a membership revolt against transgender applicants.

The DAR National Board of Management voted Saturday to reject proposed bylaw amendments clarifying that a woman eligible for membership is “defined as biological female at conception.”

Lanabeth Horgen, DAR recording secretary-general, told the organization’s Martha Laird Chapter in a letter that the board found the amendments “not to be suitable for inclusion into the bylaws and not to be in the best interest of the Society.”

‘Not in the best interest of the Society?’ On what planet? To me, the best interest of the DAR is to ADHERE to its founding. 

The board also used the excuse that, if they didn’t cave and allow transgenders into DAR, then they’d face losing their 501(C)3 status. About that…

But according to a legal memo authored by Center for American Liberty Founder Harmeet Dhillon (who currently serves as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the Department of Justice), the DAR would face no such danger for limiting membership to biological women. If a state or local government attempted an enforcement action against DAR over its women-only rule, “DAR would have a strong First Amendment defense,” she maintained. “[I]t is unlikely that the IRS or the District of Columbia would revoke the DAR’s non-profit status over such a bylaw change given the facts that there is likely no public policy opposing exclusion of transgender-identifying men from female-only private genealogical organizations and that any such attempted revocation would likely violate the DAR’s associational rights.”

You can read the entire memo here. 

This weekend, during the national convention, another vote took place. And it was defeated, 1,481 – 984.

“Today the Daughters of the American Revolution, whose motto is ‘God, Home and Country,’ voted to reject a resolution that seeks to define the word ‘woman’ in our National Bylaws,” Ms. McDonald said in a statement to The Washington Times.

“While admitting men with amended birth certificates is still a violation of the bylaws, I do believe the will of the assembly was heard today,” she said. “We don’t know what the future holds or what God’s plan is, but we do know He has a plan and we trust Him.”

Supposedly, the board says transgenders should be admitted in order to preserve their nondiscrimination policy. Again, this is a women only organization. Biological males do not fit the criteria. 

DAR Betrays Its Daughters 🇺🇸
The Daughters of the American Revolution — founded for women honoring Revolutionary ancestors — now accepts biological males with amended “female” birth certificates. Leadership confirmed it; reform efforts failed.
This erases real women’s heritage.… pic.twitter.com/o3zHZTCeor

— JUDY (@judy08281241) June 27, 2026

The board and too many members of the DAR, at the national convention this week were unable to stand up for themselves and the history of this once great organization. 

Heritage-based organizations are always under attack for one singular reason: ancestry-based membership means DNA is real and matters, which means race is real and matters, which means the postwar consensus is obviously false.

Attacking the organizations via subversion is an…

— Tennessee Heritage Association (@HeritageTN) June 27, 2026

Sadly, the Daughters of the American Revolution has decided they are unable to define what a woman is. 

Their celebration of America’s 250th rings hollow in light of their move to marginalize themselves. 

Feature Photo Credit: Vintage DAR photo via Judy on X, cropped and modified