Daughters of the American Revolution to Vote on Definition of ‘Woman’ Over Transgender Policy
‘Our founders would never have anticipated men believing they are women would join a women’s only organization’
By Katy Grimes, June 17, 2026 10:00 am
First the trans left came for girls bathrooms and locker rooms. The left came for Women’s gyms, saunas, spas, and clubs. Then they came for the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. The left came for Miss Universe and Miss USA. Then they came for women’s prisons. Then they came for women’s sports. Then the left came for Daughters of the American Revolution.
The Daughters of the American Revolution currently allows men who identify as women to join, but the group will vote on a resolution to reverse that policy and formally define “woman,” the Daily Signal reports.
The Daughters of the American Revolution is a non-profit, non-political, lineage-based women’s service organization founded on October 11, 1890. Its mission centers on three pillars: historic preservation, education, and patriotism. It is federally chartered by Congress (1896) and has nearly 190,000 members in about 3,000 chapters across the U.S. and internationally.
Notably, membership and eligibility is limited to “any woman aged 18 or older—regardless of race, religion, or ethnic background—who can prove direct lineal descent from a Revolutionary War patriot is eligible.”
However, since a 2023 bylaw amendment prohibiting discrimination based on “gender or sexual orientation”, DAR has accepted “transgender women” (biological males) if they meet the lineage requirement. National leadership has confirmed this, stating that chapters cannot discriminate against eligible applicants whose birth certificate says “female.”
Many members and chapters oppose this, arguing it contradicts the organization’s founding as a group for women, and explicitly “Daughters”. Groups like Daughters Advocating for Restoration have organized to close what they see as a loophole. Previous attempts to define “woman” biologically were rejected by the National Board.
According to Newsweek, in June 2023, (right in the middle of the Biden DEI Presidency), at the 132nd DAR Continental Congress, the organization voted to add an amendment to their bylaws that states the chapters “may not discriminate against an eligible applicant based on race, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law”. DAR spokesperson Bren Landon told Newsweek that the amendment “provides additional non-discrimination language” that protects the society’s tax-exempt status. She also told Newsweek that “the new language does not change the criteria for membership,” and that “DAR’s longstanding membership policy remains unchanged since our founding in 1890.”
Talk about muddying the waters.
Newsweek explains that DAR delegates approved an amendment to the organization bylaws that eliminates a line that reads: “provided an applicant for chapter membership is personally acceptable to the chapter.”
The amendment added a line, stating that DAR and its chapters “may not discriminate against an eligible applicant based on race, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.”
DAR members quit over this bylaw change.
According to the Daily Signal, the new resolution argues that the bylaws, which state that eligibility only applies to women, “should be interpreted in accordance with the intention of the society at the time the bylaw was adopted.”
“There is no question that DAR’s founders in 1890 did not envision men identifying as women as eligible for membership.”
In relevant part, the resolution states:
“Resolved, That in Article III, Section 1 of the Bylaws, the term ‘woman’ shall be understood to clearly mean a woman who was born female, and therefore, individuals who were born male shall not be eligible for membership; transgender women shall not be eligible for membership; and men who have their birth certificates changed from male to female shall not be eligible for membership.”
Vikki Grieshaber, regent of the Letitia Coxe Shelby chapter in La Mesa, California, confirmed to the Daily Signal that her chapter called for the special meeting. “We believe the term ‘woman’ refers to biological women only.”
“Our founders would never have anticipated men believing they are women would join a women’s only organization,” she explained. “The current membership application has us attest to the fact that we are biological women. We hope to restore our Society to what our founding daughters intended.”
We hope so too.
A California native and Navy mom, Katy lives in Sacramento, CA.
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