I was a sports columnist at the Seattle Times for 11 years. This is why I resigned

MAtt Aclkins ^ | 20 August 2026 | Matt CAlkins

[Rummyfan]

I really wanted the column to run. I didn’t think it would, but I felt obligated to try to get it in.

Toward the end of last month, before the Seattle Storm hosted the Indiana Fever, I spoke to people attending a rally in support of Sophie Cunningham outside Climate Pledge Arena. The Fever guard had recently taken a stance against biological males competing in women’s/girls sports, and a few dozen folks showed up to express their gratitude for her position.

One of them was 16-year-old Ahnaleigh Wilson, who’d lost to a biological male in a track and field race in eighth grade and was holding a sign reading “Thank You Sophie for Speaking up for Girls!”

I didn’t know if I was going to write something at that point, but after she allegedly got cussed out by a Storm co-owner during the game, I felt like I had to weigh in.

One thing Wilson emphasized to me at the rally was that she wasn’t anti-trans. Another student-athlete named Frances Staudt — who said she’s endured daily verbal abuse after refusing to play against a biological boy in a basketball game — echoed Wilson’s sentiment.

So that was the thesis of my column (which you can read here) — that supporting the separation of biological females and males doesn’t automatically make you transphobic, so let’s stop throwing those labels around.

---

TOPICS: Miscellaneous; Politics; Society
KEYWORDS:

[algore]

Seattle media is trashing him hardcore.

personally I think he made a very bad decision.

But the media are all more focused on the Mayor so next week no one will care.

[bray]

He quit before he was fired for wrongthink.

[Parmy]

Sometimes one has to stand up for principle over convenience and safety. And, if someone operates from principle and then capitulates to go against his principles and what is right, then that person really never feels the safe about himself.

Values are everything. While this person's immediate future is unknown, when he comes out the other end, and he will, he can stand tall because of the respect he gained for himself.

[Ronaldus Magnus III]

Climate Pledge Arena

A world-class, net-zero carbon certified sports arena.

Gag me with a woke spoon.

[ArcadeQuarters]

Women are below trans in the victim pecking order.

[rlmorel]

(Kudos to Matt Walsh)

[Falconspeed]

“she’s endured daily verbal abuse after refusing to play against a biological boy.” Prayers for all young people who get abuse from fools.

[alexander_busek]

[...] then that person really never feels the safe about himself.

Huh?!

Regards,

[Bonemaker]

“...outside Climate Pledge Arena....”

How sick are they out there?

[bantam]

Climate Pledge arena 🤦‍♂️😂😂😂😂

[Adder]

“The talent there is immense, and the editors let me have a lot of fun with other stories. I also realize where the brass is coming from. “

That’s not talent...that’s being cowed into submission.