Southwest
Texas Daughters of the American Revolution chapter challenges premise it must admit transgender members
FIRST ON FOX– The historic Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) organization, which currently allows transgender members to join its chapters, has pointed to the policy as a necessity for DAR to maintain its tax-exempt status. But, a local chapter in Texas is challenging that premise with the help of the Center for American Liberty (CAL).
CAL drafted a letter to DAR leadership, arguing that a policy to exclude natal men, including natal men who identify as women, from membership eligibility is both lawful and would not jeopardize the DAR’s status as a tax-exempt nonprofit, according to a memorandum reviewed by Fox News Digital.
In September 2024, the Martha Laird Chapter, along with the endorsement of 11 other chapters, submitted a proposed bylaw amendment to prohibit all men, including trans-identifying men, from DAR membership eligibility.
“A woman is defined as a biological female at conception, having naturally occurring X chromosomes, exclusive of Y chromosomes, and certified as female or girl on the original birth certificate,” the proposed bylaw reads. “NSDAR and its chapters may not discriminate against an eligible applicant.”
TENNIS OFFICIAL IN WYOMING RESIGNS IN PROTEST OF TRANS ATHLETE’S PARTICIPATION IN WOMEN’S CATEGORY
DAR Martha Laird Chapter. (DAR Martha Laird Chapter)
The DAR Board of Management is set to consider the amendment during its next meeting on Feb. 8. If approved, the proposed bylaw amendment would go to the full DAR membership for a vote at the upcoming Continental Congress this summer.
“We will continue doing this every year until we at least get a vote at the Continental Congress,” Laura McDonald, member of the Martha Laird DAR Chapter, told Fox News Digital. “That’s the only fair and transparent way to handle this.”
CAL, on behalf of the Martha Laird DAR Chapter in Texas, argues that members of the organization have a First Amendment right to exclude trans-identifying men from eligibility.
“To the extent state and local public accommodation statutes may be interpreted to require the DAR to admit trans-identifying men, such a requirement would likely violate the DAR’s First Amendment rights if the DAR determined that such a requirement would interfere with its ability to advance its intended message,” the memorandum reads.
Additionally, they argue that while nonprofits run the risk of losing their nonprofit status if they act in a way that is illegal or contrary to “national public policy,” it is unlikely that the DAR, a genealogical association that limits membership to natal females, violates national public policy.
“To the best of our knowledge, the IRS has never revoked a sex-based organization’s nonprofit status based on the fact that the organization excluded trans-identifying men from membership eligibility,” the memorandum reads. “Moreover, the DAR currently excludes men who do not identify as transgender from eligibility.”
“This exclusion constitutes discrimination on the basis of sex, which is typically prohibited by public accommodation laws, yet to the best of our knowledge, the IRS has never considered exclusion of men from a private organization’s membership rolls contrary to national public policy,” the memorandum continues.
The DAR was founded in 1890 as a place for women who share a commitment to honoring Revolutionary War patriots and promoting historical preservation, as they couldn’t join their male counterparts in the Sons of the American Revolution. Members famously must trace their lineage to those who helped fight in the war for American independence.
“The fact that we’ve excluded men since our founding… we should have lost our nonprofit status a long time ago or never even obtained it to begin with,” McDonald said.
FORMER LGPA TOUR GOLFER AMY OLSON CALLS TRANS PLAYER’S Q SCHOOL PARTICIPATION ‘UNFAIR’
The entrance to the Daughters of the American Revolution headquarters at Constitution Hall is viewed in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)
In June 2024, former DAR member Brenda Becker spoke with Fox News Digital about her resignation from the organization in protest following bylaw amendments that said chapters cannot “discriminate against an eligible applicant based on race, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law,” leading to criticism that biological men identifying as transgender women could be part of the group. But the organization noted that was already the case.
“This literally is the epitome of gaslighting because, first of all, they tell members that nothing has changed in their admissions process from the beginning when we were founded in 1890, that only women are eligible for membership,” McDonald said. “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.”
The updated language was criticized for its vagueness, with some members expressing confusion last year over whether this would mean transgender women could join. In a document titled “Answers to Frequently Asked Member Questions Regarding Transgender Women in DAR,” which was shared with Fox News Digital, the organization’s leadership affirmed that transgender members were permitted to join.
Since the organization announced the amendment during DAR’s 2023 Continental Congress, over 500 members and former members of the DAR have sent nearly 3,000 messages to DAR leadership expressing discontent with the bylaw change, according to the New Tolerance Campaign (NTC). Members against the change argue that unless the bylaws are reversed, they will be forced to share changing rooms, restrooms and hotel rooms with biological males.
Becker told Fox News Digital she and other women feel like they are being deceived, and added it was ironic that one can join the DAR using an altered birth certificate when membership is contingent on accurate biographical records.
McDonald said her chapter’s new proposal also requires either a DNA test to confirm the female gender or a sworn statement that says the birth certificate that the applicant is submitting has not been altered in terms of sex. She added that this was especially important because the organization hasn’t typically allowed any altered birth certificates to act as verification for admission.
TOP INTERNATIONAL CHESS FEDERATION BARS TRANSGENDER FEMALES FROM COMPETING IN WOMEN’S EVENTS
The entrance to the Daughters of the American Revolution headquarters at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)
“If I were to adopt a little girl right now, she could not use her altered birth certificate to get into the DAR, using my line, my biological line,” McDonald explained. “She would have to go dig up her original birth certificate and jump through all these other hoops that other applicants don’t to prove her biological line.”
“The DAR is saying: ‘Hey, man, if your state has issued you a new birth certificate, it’s an amended birth certificate, it’s not an original, but it says you’re a female, we’ll take that. We won’t make you go find your original document,” she said.
“But, ‘Hey, woman If you’ve been adopted and you have a birth certificate that says that your mother has lineal descent of a patriot, but she’s not your biological mother, you can’t use that one. You have to go through all these extra hoops,’” she added. “To me, that’s a form of discrimination.”
McDonald also believes that the cultural tide is shifting.
“Everybody is realizing that this trans ideology, this agenda to have men infiltrate women’s spaces, is starting to not be popular anymore, and it’s not as accepted,” McDonald said.
CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Eric Sell, associate litigation counsel with the Center for American Liberty and Schilman Legal Fellow, shared a similar analysis, arguing it is very unpopular among the DAR members to allow men and transgender identifying men into the organization’s membership.
“The only reason the bylaw amendment didn’t pass last go around is because these members are being told that they have to do this, or they’re going to lose their nonprofit status or be subject to some other kind of legal penalty,” he said.
“It’s pretty clear in the case law that the DAR has this First Amendment right and they would be able to use that as a defense if, in the unlikely event, some government actor were to bring an enforcement action against them,” he added.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Daughters of the American Revolution for comment, but has yet to receive a response.
Read the full article from Here
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The Texas Senate primary for Republicans is a bloodbath, and President Donald Trump isn’t wading in.
Trump, who appeared in Corpus Christi, Texas, to tout his energy agenda Friday, had the opportunity to stake his claim in the contentious race and endorse a candidate.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, is the longtime incumbent fending off seven challengers.
But the real race is between Cornyn, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas.
President Donald Trump stops to speak to the media as he departs from Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House Feb. 27, 2026, in Washington, D.C. ( Heather Diehl/Getty Images)
All three were in attendance at Trump’s rally, reminiscent of the made-for-TV spectacles that dominated his successful 2024 election campaign. Yet Trump didn’t endorse any of them as Election Day in the primary fast approaches.
Trump acknowledged all three — he paired Cornyn and Paxton and mentioned Hunt later in his remarks. He noted that they were all engaged in an “interesting election.”
“They’re in a little race together,” Trump said of Cornyn and Paxton. “You know that, right? A little bit of a race. It’s going to be an interesting one, right? They’re both great people, too.”
HUNT FILES POLICE REPORT AGAINST CORNYN CAMPAIGN STAFFER OVER ALLEGED FAMILY ‘DOXXING’ INCIDENT
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and John Cornyn, R-Texas (Getty Images)
Cornyn is running for a fifth term in the Senate and fighting for his political life in a nasty primary election that Trump has time and again refused to weigh in on. He’s got the full weight of Senate Republican leadership behind him, too.
Paxton, who has faced headwinds with scandals over the years, has strongly aligned himself with the president and built a coalition of conservative backers in the House, including Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, who brought him to Trump’s State of the Union earlier this week.
And while the trio duke it out, money is being burned at a record pace. So far, a whopping $110 million has been spent on the Senate primaries, and $88 million of that has been dumped into the GOP contest, according to data from AdImpact.
CORNYN WARNS PAXTON WOULD BE ‘KISS OF DEATH’ FOR GOP AS BLOODY PRIMARY RACE RAMPS UP
Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, walks up the House steps for a vote on the budget resolution in the U.S. Capitol April 10, 2025. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Given the crowded field, it’s likely the race will head to a runoff, which will turn into a brutal sprint until late May. Paxton believes he could come out on top with at least 50% of the vote come March 3, while Cornyn is eying the long game.
The coveted Trump endorsement could put either over the top in ruby red Texas. And he may be close to picking his favorite.
Ahead of the event, Trump was asked if he had decided who to endorse.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“Pretty much,” he told reporters.
But when asked if he would say who, he said, “No.”
Related Article
Read the full article from Here
Southwest
Jasmine Crockett reveals Colbert hasn’t invited her on show since furor over Talarico interview
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, revealed Friday she’s still not been asked to appear on Stephen Colbert’s “Late Show,” days after the host claimed pressure from the Federal Communications Commission effectively censored an interview with her Senate primary political opponent, James Talarico.
Earlier this week, Colbert said CBS prevented the broadcast of Talarico’s appearance due to guidance from the FCC requiring shows to provide “equal time” to opposing candidates.
In response, the late-night host criticized the FCC and his own network. The Talarico interview was posted online, where it has garnered more than 8 million views on YouTube alone. The tumult and extra attention to the interview helped raise more than $2.5 million for Talarico’s campaign.
“No, I’ve not been invited on Colbert prior to his interview nor post his interview,” Crockett said on MS NOW’s “Morning Joe” Friday.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett speaks to members of the media following a House Oversight and Accountability Committee deposition in New Albany, Ohio, on Wednesday, Feb. 18. (Dustin Franz/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Crockett explained that while she has appeared on Colbert’s show twice before, she has not been invited since she launched her candidacy for the U.S. Senate.
“The only information that I got was after this debacle took place, I did receive a phone call from the parent company,” Crockett said.
She said that CBS representatives told her they did not tell Colbert he couldn’t air the Talarico segment. Instead, they said that if he had Talarico on, he had to offer the same time to Crockett.
COLBERT FUMES AT CBS, SAYS IT BARRED HIM FROM INTERVIEWING TEXAS DEM AMID FCC CRACKDOWN
Texas state Rep. James Talarico, left, and Rep. Jasmine Crockett, both Democrats and U.S. Senate candidates, participate in a debate during the 2026 Texas AFL-CIO COPE Convention in Georgetown, Texas, on Jan. 24. (Bob Daemmrich/The Texas Tribune/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“They just said, if you air it, just make sure that you offer the representative equal time. Now, obviously, I wasn’t engaged in that conversation, so I cannot confirm the veracity of any statements,” she said.
“But I can confirm that I had never been asked to go on as it relates to kind of talking about the Senate race,” Crockett added.
CBS released a statement denying it censored Colbert, insisting the show chose to share the interview on YouTube instead to avoid the equal-time requirement.
‘THE VIEW’ PANEL ERUPTS AS GUEST DEFENDS TRUMP AGAINST RACISM CLAIMS
Texas state Rep. James Talarico appears with Stephen Colbert on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” in New York on Feb. 16. (Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty Images)
However, during Monday night’s broadcast, Colbert insisted he and his guest were being censored, telling his audience, “[Talarico] was supposed to be here, but we were told in no uncertain terms by our network’s lawyers, who called us directly, that we could not have him on the broadcast.”
The media attention and Colbert’s multiple segments this week about the controversy provided a boon to Talarico’s campaign. On Tuesday, Colbert crumpled up the CBS statement denying it had forced the comedian not to air the interview and put it into a dog waste bag before throwing it away.
On Wednesday, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr dismissed the controversy as a “hoax,” stating that Talarico “took advantage of all of your sort of prior conceptions to run the hoax, apparently for the purpose of raising money and getting clicks. And the news media played right into it.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
A spokesperson for Colbert’s show didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Related Article
Read the full article from Here
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A progressive House Democrat claims that attacks from her left were racially motivated in what’s become an explosive Texas Senate race.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, told supporters that she’s used to attacks from Republicans and the right, but racially tinged shots from her left flank weren’t something she expected.
“The thing that is not normal is for me to be attacked from the left,” Crockett said. “That is the new wild card in this scenario. But it’s just interesting.”
Rep. Jasmine Crockett speaks to members of the media following a House Oversight and Accountability Committee deposition in New Albany, Ohio, Feb. 18. (Dustin Franz/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“And you know, I’ve been asked a couple of times about it,” she continued. “And you know, I look at this specifically as a civil rights lawyer, and I see when they’re sending out ads and they’re darkening my skin. And I’m just like, I know what this is, right?”
Crockett did not get into specifics about which ads she was referencing or who was behind them.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Crockett’s Senate campaign for comment but did not immediately hear back.
It’s another instance in the Democratic primary for Texas’ Senate seat between Crockett and Texas state Rep. James Talarico in which race has again been jolted into the conversation.
JASMINE CROCKETT HITS BACK AT LIBERAL CRITICS OF HER SENATE BID, SUGGESTS THEY MIGHT BE GETTING PAID
Rep. James Talarico appears with Stephen Colbert on the CBS series “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” in New York Feb. 16, 2026. (Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty Images)
Before the latest drama over Talarico’s appearance on Stephen Colbert’s “The Late Show,” which Crockett said she has not received an invitation to since launching her Senate campaign, the state lawmaker was embroiled in another back-and-forth with his former opponent.
Before Crockett entered the contest, Talarico was running against former Rep. Collin Allred, D-Texas, who was again vying for the Senate after losing to Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, in 2024.
Allred exited the race in December 2025 but earlier in February alleged that Talarico had referred to him as a “mediocre Black man” in reference to his campaign against the former lawmaker.
CORNYN WARNS PAXTON WOULD BE ‘KISS OF DEATH’ FOR GOP AS BLOODY PRIMARY RACE RAMPS UP
Talarico pushed back against the allegation in a statement to the Texas Tribune at the time and said that he would “never attack him on the basis of race.”
“As a Black man in America, Congressman Allred has had to work twice as hard to get where he is,” Talarico said. “I understand how my critique of the congressman’s campaign could be interpreted given this country’s painful legacy of racism, and I care deeply about the impact my words have on others. Despite our disagreements, I deeply respect Congressman Allred. We’re all on the same team.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Early voting already is underway in Texas, with primary election day right around the corner on March 3.
Who either Crockett or Talarico will face in November remains in the air, given the three-way Republican primary battle among Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas.
Related Article
Read the full article from Here
Vibe Coding the Vote: Austin Founder Launches AI Election Tool
How to watch Tennessee Volunteers: Live stream info, TV channel, game time | Feb. 28
Musician performs under the aurora in Nenana — without gloves, in 17 degrees
Arizona Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for Feb. 27, 2026
George Dunklin’s legacy of conservation in Arkansas | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
ICE blasts Washington mayor over directive restricting immigration enforcement
Did the EU bypass Hungary’s veto on Ukraine’s €90 billion loan?
How the federal government is painting immigrants as criminals on social media
Where Iran’s ballistic missiles can reach — and how close they are to the US
Has India’s influence in Afghanistan grown under the Taliban?
-
World2 days agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts3 days agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Montana1 week ago2026 MHSA Montana Wrestling State Championship Brackets And Results – FloWrestling
-
Louisiana5 days agoWildfire near Gum Swamp Road in Livingston Parish now under control; more than 200 acres burned
-
Denver, CO2 days ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Technology7 days agoYouTube TV billing scam emails are hitting inboxes
-
Technology7 days agoStellantis is in a crisis of its own making
-
Politics7 days agoOpenAI didn’t contact police despite employees flagging mass shooter’s concerning chatbot interactions: REPORT