As presidential nominee Vanessa LaFranco reportedly supported a man who identifies as a "trans woman" serving on the board of the National Federation of Republican Women's (NFRW) New Jersey chapter, outgoing president Eileen Sobjack's apparent opposition to a real-women-only change to the group's bylaws was a source of contention at last month's convention.
"There has never been any reason to change our 85-year-old organization, which our bylaws state very clearly women are members and men are associates," Sobjack explains. "We welcome men to be associates, but they're not members of our organization."
She says they have not really had a problem with gender-confused men, except on rare occasions.
"There was a person out of New Jersey, and he listed on his LinkedIn that he's a board member in New Jersey, and he's not," Sobjack details.
Still, that man, who calls himself "Pam Daniels," was nominated to be NJ Federation of Republican Women's 2019 "Woman of the Year."
Reiterating the difference between associates and members, Sobjack says men's contributions are appreciated, but only members (biological women) have ever been allowed to vote.
At the convention late last month, which was dominated by the pro-women reform issue, Julie Harris of Arkansas was voted in as the federation's new president-elect.
"I am immensely grateful for the confidence that the NFRW members have in me and my vision for our organization," Harris said following the vote. "The NFRW has an unwavering commitment to Republican values, as affirmed by our convention's vote in support of our organization continuing its 85-year history as a women's-only organization."
Her term begins January 1, 2024.
