Seattle Times Faces Challenge Over 'No Evidence' Trans-Athlete Claim in I-638 Coverage
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Nov 10
Seattle Times Faces Challenge Over 'No Evidence' Trans-Athlete Claim in I-638 Coverage
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Nov 10
Summary
The dispute centers on a Seattle Times line saying there is “no serious scientific evidence” that trans girls or women outperform cisgender girls or women in sports.
That claim drew pushback because Washington voters had just backed Initiative 638, which bars biological males from girls’ K-12 sports, and the article framed the result as a test of fairness concerns versus anti-trans bias.
Critics cited studies the paper did not reflect, including a 2025 paper saying advantages in strength, size, power and aerobic capacity can remain after male puberty, a 2020 review finding only a 5% muscle-mass drop after a year of suppression, and a 2020 Air Force study showing trans women still ran 12% faster after two years.
They also pointed to examples such as Lia Thomas winning the 2022 NCAA Division I 500-yard freestyle title after previously ranking 65th in the men’s field, challenging the paper’s assertion that no trans women have dominated at elite college or professional levels.
The broader criticism is that the Times’ handling of the issue looked more like advocacy than neutral reporting, with detractors also faulting sourcing choices and the paper’s decision to disable comments.