Former Seattle Times sports columnist Matt Calkins resigned from his 11-year position after the newspaper declined to publish his op-ed concerning Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham's comments on biological males competing in women's sports. Calkins stated that the decision to "kill" his column, which he felt was an attempt to generate discussion on a contentious issue, led to his immediate resignation.
The column's thesis, according to Calkins, was that supporting the separation of biological females and males in sports does not automatically equate to transphobia, and he aimed to challenge the casual application of such labels. He had spoken with people attending a rally supporting Cunningham outside Climate Pledge Arena, including a 16-year-old athlete who had lost a track race to a biological male and a basketball player who had refused to play against a biological male.
Calkins submitted a draft of his column on July 31, expecting no immediate publication. He later received feedback that it would not be ready for the Sunday paper. By Thursday afternoon, his editor informed him the piece would not run, citing Calkins' failure to disclose the column's development in advance. Calkins contested this reasoning, suggesting that if it were the actual issue, the column would have been rejected earlier in the editorial process.
This incident was not the first time one of Calkins' columns had been rejected by The Seattle Times. He recalled previous pieces that were "spiked," including one questioning the U.S. Women's Soccer Team's equal-pay lawsuit claims and another on cancel culture in sports. A column following George Floyd's death, which featured remarks from a Black basketball coach urging against stereotyping police, was also not published.
Calkins expressed gratitude for his time at the newspaper and acknowledged the talent within the newsroom. However, he felt unable to continue his work properly under the circumstances. He referenced a quote from Albus Dumbledore, "We must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy," as guiding his decision.
Following his resignation, Calkins plans to continue writing independently on his Substack platform, mattycee.substack.com. He stated his intention to write without holding back, emphasizing the importance of free speech.