Daughters of the American Revolution Disbands Texas Chapter Over Bylaw Violations

<p>The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) voted on October 10, 2026, to disband its Martha Laird Chapter in Texas, which had opposed the inclusion of transgender women in the organization, citing violations of its national bylaws.</p><p>In a letter to chapter members, DAR Organizing Secretary General Marguerite Hogan Fritsch stated that the National Board of Management approved the chapter's dissolution by a two-thirds majority vote. "On October 10, 2026, at the meeting of the National Board of Management of the National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution a resolution passed by two-thirds majority vote to disband the Martha Laird Chapter, NSDAR," Fritsch said. The letter indicated that the chapter's actions were found to violate Article XIX, Section 4 of the Bylaws of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution.</p><p>The letter did not specify the conduct that constituted a violation or confirm whether the chapter's stance on transgender membership influenced the decision. The National Society Daughters of the Revolution confirmed to Fox News Digital that the organization voted to disband the local Texas chapter but denied that it was due to the chapter's views on membership. "The National Board of Management voted on October 10 to disband the Martha Laird Chapter in Texas after finding that chapter officers had used the chapter’s name, leadership positions, communications, and governance processes to further the goals of a separate advocacy organization," the group stated. "The Board determined that it was this use of chapter authority and resources – not the views being advocated – that constituted conduct discrediting the National Society under Article XIX, Section 4 of the National Bylaws."</p><p>The organization noted that at their June 2026 meeting, national members had rejected a resolution to impose further membership restrictions. Individual members of the Texas chapter retain their DAR membership and are permitted to advocate for changes to the National Bylaws through the Society’s established governance processes.</p><p>The chapter had previously challenged DAR leadership's position on transgender membership, with member Laura McDonald stating last year that the organization contradicted its founding mission by recognizing transgender women as eligible members. "But, then they go on to say that a man who claims he's a woman is a woman, and therefore he's eligible for membership. But if you are a man that doesn't claim to be a woman, you're not eligible for membership," McDonald said.</p><p>California superintendent candidate Sonja Shaw expressed that women and girls are being told that spaces created to protect their privacy and dignity "no longer belong to them," including in sports and other areas. "The women of the Martha Laird Chapter in Texas stood their ground. They sought to preserve a definition of 'Daughters' based on biological sex and asked for a clear vote. On October 10, national leadership dissolved their chapter," Shaw said.</p><p>Under DAR's national bylaws, Article XIX, Section 4 allows the National Board of Management to discipline or disband chapters that violate organizational rules or engage in conduct that discredits the DAR. The dissolution follows the introduction of the Daughters of the American Revolution Membership Integrity Act by Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va., which aims to amend DAR's congressional charter to restrict membership to biological women. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., subsequently introduced companion legislation in the Senate.</p><p>"Rather than honoring and preserving a lineage-based organization for women, it has embraced radical gender ideology at the expense of the women it was created to serve," Cline stated. In September 2024, the Martha Laird Chapter, supported by 11 other chapters, submitted a proposed bylaw amendment defining membership eligibility based on biological sex. This amendment was rejected by DAR's National Board of Management in February 2025. McDonald criticized the decision at that time, stating, "The rejection by the National Board of Management of our proposal to define a woman in our bylaws sadly confirms what we knew all along – that leadership is taking a political stance which is not based on fears of the loss of 501(c)(3) nonprofit status."</p><p>DAR, founded in 1890, previously maintained that its longstanding membership policies allowed women with legally amended birth certificates to join, provided they otherwise met the organization's genealogical requirements. Under the dissolution notice, Martha Laird Chapter members will be transferred to member-at-large status and have until November 9 to secure acceptance into another chapter. The letter also directed that dues previously remitted to the chapter be refunded.</p>