Matt Calkins resigns from Seattle Times after spiked column

Matt Calkins, a sports columnist for The Seattle Times for 11 years, has resigned following the newspaper's refusal to publish an opinion piece regarding transgender participation in women's sports.

The rejected column was based on interviews with female student-athletes, including Ahnaleigh Wilson and Frances Staudt, who expressed opposition to competing against biological males. Calkins argued that supporting the separation of biological sexes in sports should not be automatically labeled as “transphobic.”

The controversy follows a recent incident at a Seattle Storm WNBA game where Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton was reportedly confronted by fans supporting WNBA player Sophie Cunningham. Calkins stated that the decision to spike his column, which he claims was due to a lack of prior notice to editors, made him feel unable to perform his duties as a columnist.