Full Breakdown
DAR Membership Dispute Highlights Transgender Inclusion Debate
7/28/2026, 4:04:40 AM
The Dispute Over Transgender Membership in the DAR
The effort seeks a special meeting later this year to reconsider the definition.
Historical Context and Membership Rules
Founded in 1890 after women were excluded from the Sons of the American Revolution, the DAR’s bylaws allow women 18 or older who can prove direct lineal descent from an ancestor who aided the American independence effort to join. According to the DAR’s website, the organization has 175,000 members and 3,000 chapters in the United States and abroad. A DAR FAQ indicates that transgender women may join if their birth certificates list female, a condition met in most states but not in Texas, where gender-marker changes on birth certificates are prohibited.
Legal Opinions and Potential Policy Change
In 2025, McDonald’s Mount Pleasant chapter obtained a legal memorandum from the Center for American Liberty, a conservative nonprofit, asserting that the DAR’s First-Amendment rights allow it to prohibit transgender members without risking its tax-exempt status. Elizabeth Sepper, a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin, concurs that private organizations generally may set membership criteria without violating public-accommodation laws such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964. “A lot of organizations are facing questions of this kind,” — Elizabeth Sepper, a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin, agreed
Voices from Advocates and Critics
Transgender-rights advocate Zoe Wilkerson, who works at Finn’s Place in Fort Worth, says the DAR’s internal fight mirrors broader cultural battles over women-only spaces. She emphasizes that transgender women are not “men posing as women” and rejects fear-mongering about “big, burly men” entering restrooms. “There are those suggesting that big, burly men are going to be going into your bathrooms,” — Zoe Wilkerson Wilkerson adds that the DAR’s original mission—to combat exclusion—should extend to transgender individuals.
Membership Data and Outlook
McDonald estimates that only three or four transgender women are currently members, a figure she believes is symbolic of a larger ideological shift she opposes. The national DAR leadership, represented by President Ginnie Storage, has not responded to inquiries about the policy. Texas DAR head Susan Johnston referred the Star-Telegram to Storage for comment. As the organization prepares for a forthcoming special meeting, the dispute is poised to influence how the DAR and similar private groups navigate evolving definitions of gender in the United States.
