Seattle Times sports columnist Matt Calkins announced his resignation on Thursday, stating the newspaper refused to publish his column about the "Save Women's Sports" movement. Calkins, who had been with the paper for 11 years, asserted that the decision prevented him from fulfilling his role as a columnist.
The disputed column focused on two Washington student-athletes who expressed opposition to transgender girls competing in female sports. These athletes had recently gained attention for attending a Seattle Storm WNBA game to support player Sophie Cunningham's stance on protecting women's sports. Calkins aimed to argue that advocating for sex-separated athletic competition does not inherently signify animosity toward transgender individuals.
"I tried to write a column through the eyes of two student athletes who were kind of speaking out against biological males in, in girls/women's sports and I submitted this column a couple Fridays ago to my editors," Calkins told Fox News Digital. "Basically six days went by and they said, 'Uh, we're looking at it. Um, let me give it to this editor. This editor is gonna have a talk with the top two editors.' And six days later they decided it wasn't gonna run."
Calkins stated that his editors' reasoning was that he had not informed them of the column's topic in advance, an explanation he did not accept. He expressed a desire to amplify the voices of female athletes who compete against transgender athletes.
According to Calkins, this rejection followed a pattern of previous columns being "spiked" whenever they challenged prevailing viewpoints. Despite his frustration, Calkins conveyed respect for his former editors and acknowledged the pressures they face with controversial topics. He stated he holds no personal animosity toward his former colleagues.
Calkins indicated that concerns over potential public backlash had increasingly influenced the range of topics he felt he could explore. "I couldn't do my job as a columnist because I feel like they were stifling my voice," he said.
The Seattle Times has not yet responded to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.
The controversy Calkins intended to cover began prior to a July 28 game between the Seattle Storm and the Indiana Fever. Calkins attended a rally supporting Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, who has publicly stated her opposition to transgender women participating in women's sports. At the rally, Calkins interviewed 16-year-old Ahnaleigh Wilson, a high school runner who described competing against a transgender athlete. He also spoke with Tumwater High School basketball player Frances Staudt, who had reportedly chosen not to play in a game that included a transgender opponent.
Following the rally, Wilson alleged that Seattle Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton confronted her and used profanity. The Storm organization issued a public apology for the incident, and the WNBA subsequently fined Keaton and suspended her from attending five home games.
Calkins stated this encounter was the catalyst for his column. He later published the piece on Substack after his resignation.
The dispute unfolds as Washington voters prepare to consider Initiative IL26-638 in November. This ballot measure proposes prohibiting students identified as biologically male from competing in certain athletic activities designated for female students and would require healthcare provider verification of a student's biological sex for participation. Supporters argue the initiative is essential for fairness and safety in girls' sports, while opponents contend it would discriminate against transgender students and impose intrusive eligibility requirements.
Calkins has not announced immediate professional plans but intends to continue writing independently. "I love to keep writing. I love sports. I love to be able to speak my mind," he said. "Hopefully I can stay in that realm."