By The Washington Times (Politics) | Created at 2026-08-20 22:05:50 | Updated at 2026-08-20 22:19:09
1 hour ago
A longtime sports columnist for the Seattle Times abruptly quit after editors killed a column he wrote positing that those who don’t want biological men playing in women’s sports aren’t transphobic.
Matt Calkins said Seattle Times editors gave him the runaround when he submitted his column describing the bravery of teenager Ahnaleigh Wilson and other girls who praised WNBA player Sophie Cunningham for speaking out against men playing in women’s sports.
“There were no slurs hurled. No malice detected. It was just Wilson, an Eastmont High student in East Wenatchee, demonstrating what some have trouble accepting: that agreeing with Cunningham’s position does not make you transphobic,” he wrote in the column after witnessing the girls when the Seattle Storm played Ms. Cunningham’s team, Indiana Fever, at Climate Pledge Arena.
Editors first postponed running the piece, then killed it.
And he quit.
“I’ve always thought that it was a columnist’s duty to generate discussion on the most hot-button issues. To avoid such topics was to leave the reader shortchanged. I guess in the end, I just didn’t feel like I could do my job properly anymore,” he wrote in a Substack column.
Mr. Calkins said it wasn’t the first time the paper killed one of his columns for going against the liberal mindset.
Editors also spiked a piece questioning whether players for the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team were justified in claiming discrimination in their equal-pay lawsuit.
They also killed one of his columns addressing cancel culture in sports.
“The last, written shortly after George Floyd’s death, implored people to listen to state-champion basketball coach Mike Bethea — a black man urging the public not to stereotype cops. The common theme? All of these challenged prevailing newsroom narratives and likely would have triggered the outrage mob,” he wrote.
Mr. Calkins worked for the Seattle Times for 11 years. He’s now posting on Substack and fielding offers, including one from Outkick founder and radio host Clay Travis.
“Unacceptable,” Mr. Travis posted on X after reading about Mr. Calkins’ resignation. “We may have a job for you.”
The Washington Times reached out to the Seattle Times for comment.
