DAR Leadership Is Punishing Pro-Women Members to Entrench Gender-Identity Inclusion
Source: Jordan Boyd. "Being Male Won't Get You Kicked Out Of The DAR, But Defending Women Will." October 14, 2026. thefederalist.com
The Gist
The author says the DAR's leaders have let men who changed their birth certificates join a women's organization and are now shutting down the chapter that fought back. She argues that the leaders dodged a fair vote, ignored members' requests, and used vague bylaw language to punish dissenters.
Conclusion
The DAR's national leadership is abandoning the organization's core mission as a women's society by admitting men with amended birth certificates and, rather than letting members decide the issue fairly, is suppressing dissent by disbanding the Martha Laird chapter, which led the effort to keep the DAR female.
Premises
- Since 2023 the DAR has officially admitted men with altered birth certificates, sometimes without members' knowledge, prompting thousands of members to leave several chapters.
- The national leadership refused to forward the Martha Laird chapter's January 2025 proposal to limit membership to biological females to the Continental Congress, despite legal advice that the DAR would have a strong First Amendment defense for excluding males.
- The June 2026 resolution to limit membership to those 'born female' was defeated 1,481 to 984 in a vote that bypassed the requirement to notify 100% of members, and the president general (who belongs to a pro-trans DAR Facebook group) urged members to respect the result.
- After 129 chapters in 35 states requested a special meeting to vote on admitting men with amended birth certificates, the National Board of Management responded by voting to disband the Martha Laird chapter without specifying which actions violated the bylaws.
- The disbandment came one day after chapter leaders were honored for their stand, and the DAR removed the chapter's history page, leaving members to find another chapter by Nov. 9 or lose their status; sources fear more disbandments will follow to silence dissent.
Assumptions
- Men with amended birth certificates are men, not women, so their admission departs from the DAR's women-only purpose.
- The DAR's founding mission is inherently tied to biological female membership.
- The stated reason for disbanding (using chapter resources to further a separate advocacy group) is a pretext rather than a legitimate reason.
- The timing and procedural irregularities indicate intentional suppression rather than coincidence or good-faith governance.
- Anonymous sources' fears of further disbandments are credible.
- The legal advice from the Center for American Liberty is reliable and the DAR's nonprofit-status fears are overblown.