FORT WORTH, Texas — Several members of the Woman’s Club of Fort Worth resigned, including the applicant, after the club recently admitted a transgender woman, the century-old civic organization confirmed.
The Woman’s Club confirmed in a statement to WFAA that nine members resigned amid the controversy. The club said it has nearly 1,000 members.
“The Woman’s Club of Fort Worth is not open to men, nor do we have any men on the membership roll. We received and accepted an application from a transgender woman which led to some member resignations, including that of the applicant,” the statement read. “We are empathetic to the identity and experiences of transgender individuals as integral to the broader spectrum of womanhood. We hear the needs of the transgender community, and it is clear that we need to formally discuss and address the matter of allowing transgender women into our organization. It is a conversation we will need to have in the near future, but one that we are not prepared for today.”
The Woman’s Club of Fort Worth was founded in 1923, “to empower women through educational programming in the areas of literature, history, science, fine arts, and other areas of personal and professional development,” according to their website.
An inclusion policy adopted by the club’s board of directors in 2020, says the club “is a safe and welcoming place for women of all backgrounds, and it does not condone any form of racism or intolerance.”
“Our organization has always strived to be a safe and welcoming space for women of all backgrounds, and we will continue to do so as we reflect on the evolving understanding of gender identity in our society,” their statement concluded.
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