Hundreds Rally To Preserve DAR For Actual Women
On June 24, approximately 200 members of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) gathered in Washington, D.C., to oppose a proposed change in the organization’s definition of “woman,” aimed at excluding transgender women from membership. The rally, hosted by the nonprofit Daughters Advocating for Restoration, focused on efforts to have the DAR’s bylaws explicitly define “woman” as someone born female, thereby excluding trans-identified men. The organization has faced ongoing controversy over transgender inclusion, leading to numerous resignations and internal conflicts, especially since the bylaws lacked clear definitions and included a non-discrimination clause. While some within the DAR leadership have opposed such changes, activists like Laura McDonald of the Restoration group seek to reinforce the focus on traditional womanhood. The debate involves differing viewpoints: those advocating for preserving women-only spaces and those supporting transgender inclusion, exemplified by groups like Daughters for Inclusivity. The rally emphasized parliamentary procedure, strategic messaging, and the importance of maintaining the organization’s woman-only status based on biological sex.
Around 200 members of the Daughters of the American Revolution gathered at a rally June 24 in Washington, D.C., ahead of a contentious Friday vote on the definition of “woman.” This vote comes after years of tension over whether or not trans-identified men should be allowed to become members of the woman-only society.
The event was hosted by the Daughters Advocating for Restoration, a nonprofit organization fighting to restore the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) to a female-only space.
The resolution to be voted on Friday 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.
Since the controversy over trans involvement in DAR began, thousands of women have resigned from the organization, citing its transgender policy as a reason.
Because the bylaws did not explicitly define what “daughters” or “woman” meant, and due to a non-discrimination clause added to the bylaws in 2023, the DAR members advocating for women’s spaces faced an uphill battle.
Many members of the national DAR leadership pushed back on individual chapters attempting to define the word “woman” in the national bylaws. After a Nevada chapter submitted an amendment to define the term, the DAR President General Pamela Wright said of trans-identified men that “we will continue to welcome them into our Society in the future.” The National Board of Management (NBM) has also rejected several proposed bylaw amendments dealing with this issue in the past for years now.
Laura McDonald, treasurer of the Martha Laird chapter in Mount Pleasant, Texas, founded the Daughters Advocating for Restoration in 2024 to push back against men being allowed into the society. This group has worked with individual chapters and state-level DAR organizations to help bring the resolution to the floor at the 135th DAR Continental Congress in Washington, D.C.
McDonald and her organization worked with a professional parliamentarian, who told them that a bylaw amendment, which would have to go through the NBM, was not actually necessary to change DAR policies. Because the bylaws do not define the word “woman,” the group is able to bring forth a resolution to be voted on that would restrict the organization to women.
The June 24 rally focused on learning parliamentary procedure, perfecting talking points, and bringing together the side that supports real womanhood. Members fighting for restoration of the DAR chose black and white as their signature colors, signifying the contrast between light and darkness, one woman said at the rally.
The pro-transgender side of the issue has not stayed quiet, however. The Daughters for Inclusivity, a Facebook group founded in 2026, is comprised of DAR members who want trans-identified men to be included in the society, stating the popular leftist mantra that “trans women are woman.”
“We must know that we are here in this place only because of what God has already done and because He has a plan,” McDonald said at the rally. “Nothing we do here matters if not done in service to the Lord. We are on a mission for restoration not because of who we are, but because of who He is.”
Skye Graham is an intern at The Federalist. She is a senior History major at Hillsdale College and serves as the assistant features editor for the Hillsdale Collegian.
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