They Fought To Keep Men Out Of Historic Women’s Org. Now They’re Fighting Forced Dissolution.

The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) is forcing a Texas chapter to disband after it led a publicized initiative to ban trans-identifying men from joining the historic female-only organization. Now, the chapter is taking legal action as it fights for its future.

The Heritage Legal Action Center filed a temporary retraining order on Monday to stop NSDAR from forcing the dissolution of the 84-year-old Martha Laird Chapter in Texas and seizure of roughly $16,000 in assets. The Martha Laird Chapter spearheaded an effort to change the organization’s bylaws to prohibit men who self-identify as transgender from joining the organization at its national meeting in June 2026.

“At the center of this controversy is a fundamental disagreement over the future of one of America’s oldest women’s organizations. NSDAR maintains that biological men who identify as women are eligible for membership,” states the temporary restraining order filed by The Heritage Foundation legal team on behalf of the Martha Laird Chapter. “Members of the Martha Laird Chapter believe that an organization founded by women and for women should remain an organization for women.”

Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) leadership did not accept Martha Laird’s internal appeal of the decision and declared the disbandment decision “was final and would not be reconsidered,” according to the legal filing.

“After refusing the Martha Laird Chapter’s appeal of that decision, DAR leadership is demanding that the chapter dissolve and hand over its remaining assets by November 9,” Lea Patterson, senior litigation counsel at the Heritage Foundation told The Daily Wire. “The Heritage Foundation Legal Action Center is fighting back. You cannot dissolve a Texas corporation simply by sending a letter from Washington. Manipulating the process to avoid fair and open debate is wrong.”

The National Board of Management of DAR voted to disband the Texas chapter on October 10, according to the legal filing. It is demanding the Martha Laird chapter dissolve and hand over its assets to DAR by November 9. Patterson told The Daily Wire DAR launched an investigation into the Martha Laird Chapters advocacy efforts, but it was not charged with misconduct.

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“Those Martha Laird Chapter members, along with other likeminded DAR members around the nation, stood up for the principle that a women’s organization should be for women,” said Patterson. “DAR leadership responded with an investigation into how much the Martha Laird Chapter supported this advocacy while insisting that the chapter was not charged with misconduct. DAR leadership then voted to disband the chapter.”

Founded in 1890, DAR aimed to give women the same opportunities as men to “promote Historic Preservation, Education, and Patriotism” in the United States. Throughout its more than 130-year history, DAR has welcomed over a million members, supported American efforts in three major wars, and continues to serve active-duty military members and veterans, as described on its website.

Laura McDonald, a member of the Martha Laird chapter who was involved in the effort to change DAR’s bylaws, told The Daily Wire the chapter believes it has not been given a fair chance to defend itself.

“We don’t believe we received a fair opportunity to defend ourselves against the DAR’s infliction of the extraordinary punishment of disbanding our chapter,” said McDonald. “We love DAR and the mission it was founded to serve. That’s why this has been so devastating. And it’s why we are standing up for our chapter and the charitable work it has done.”

McDonald said the Martha Laird Chapter has been part of DAR since 1942 and that members have “devoted years, and in some cases decades” to serving their communities and preserving American history. She told The Daily Wire it appears the chapter is being targeted because of its advocacy for sex-based rights.

“The Martha Laird chapter spearheaded the bylaw amendment proposal, and DAR leadership seems to want to make an example of us to stop our advocacy from succeeding,” said McDonald. “We adopted these resolutions through our chapter’s established procedures consistent with the DAR bylaws. We followed DAR’s policies at every point.”

“DAR leadership may disagree with these women, but that does not mean it can take away their organization,” Patterson told The Daily Wire. “We will fight for these women’s right to be heard.”