Seattle Times writer quits over spiked Sophie Cunningham column

New York Post • August 20, 2026 • sports

Key Points:

Matt Calkins resigned from The Seattle Times after 11 years, citing the newspaper's refusal to publish his column opposing biological males competing against female athletes as his final straw.
His column, written from the perspective of two female student athletes, underwent extensive editorial review before being ultimately spiked without clear explanation.
Calkins alleges previous suppression of his work, including pieces questioning the U.S. Women's Soccer Team's discrimination claims and addressing cancel culture in sports.
He emphasized that supporting the separation of biological males and females in sports does not equate to being transphobic, a stance that conflicted with prevailing newsroom narratives.
Despite uncertainty about his future, Calkins expressed a preference for facing fear over compromising his journalistic integrity by being silenced.

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