Seattle Times sports columnist resigns over spiked trans athlete story
Calkins said the paper rejected his column on transgender athletes, and he resigned after 11 years, publishing the essay himself on Substack.
- On Thursday, Seattle Times sports columnist Matt Calkins resigned after 11 years, citing the paper's rejection of his column about transgender athletes in women's sports.
- Calkins submitted the column titled "Agreeing with Sophie Cunningham's stance doesn't make you transphobic" Friday, July 31, arguing that separating biological females and males in sports doesn't automatically signal transphobia.
- An editor rejected the piece six days later, claiming Calkins failed to pitch it in advance—reasoning he disputed. The rejection marked one of several columns the Seattle Times declined to publish in recent years.
- Calkins published the rejected column on Substack and expressed feeling "scared" about his future, noting "The mob is frightening and does not forget" in his essay.
- WNBA star Sophie Cunningham, whose stance on transgender athletes inspired the column, has drawn praise from conservatives like Tomi Lahren, though she resisted the "MAGA Barbie" label in an ESPN interview last month.
17 Articles
17 Articles
Matt Calkins-Seattle Times row explained: Why he quit, what he said, and what's next as net worth comes into focus
Sports columnist Matt Calkins resigned from The Seattle Times after the newspaper declined to publish his column on Sophie Cunningham and transgender athletes.
Sophie Cunningham Supporter Quits Job Amid WNBA/Transgender Controversy
Matt Calkins has resigned from The Seattle Times after the newspaper allegedly declined to publish his column supporting Sophie Cunningham. The post Sophie Cunningham Supporter Quits Job Amid WNBA/Transgender Controversy appeared first on HEAVY.
Newspaper Columnist Quits After Editors Kill Story on a Teen Sophie Cunningham Fan Who Thanked Her for 'Speaking Up for Girls'
The newspaper might be spineless, but the columnist wasn’t. A veteran Seattle Times sports columnist is making headlines of his own after resigning from the newspaper over a column being […] The post Newspaper Columnist Quits After Editors Kill Story on a Teen Sophie Cunningham Fan Who Thanked Her for 'Speaking Up for Girls' appeared first on The Western Journal.
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