Insofar as it means  attendant,  an acolyte can be either a man or a woman.
( ( Insofar ( as ( it ( means attendant ) ) ) ) ( , ( ( an acolyte ) ( ( can ( be ( either ( ( ( a man ) or ) ( a woman ) ) ) ) ) . ) ) ) )
(ROOT (S (SBAR (RB Insofar) (IN as) (S (NP (PRP it)) (VP (VBZ means) (ADJP (JJ attendant))))) (, ,) (NP (DT an) (NN acolyte)) (VP (MD can) (VP (VB be) (NP (CC either) (NP (DT a) (NN man)) (CC or) (NP (DT a) (NN woman))))) (. .)))
Acolytes can only be men.
( Acolytes ( ( ( can only ) ( be men ) ) . ) )
(ROOT (S (NP (NNS Acolytes)) (VP (MD can) (ADVP (RB only)) (VP (VB be) (NP (NNS men)))) (. .)))