The Miss America Organization is dropping the swimsuit competition from its nationally televised broadcast, saying it will no longer judge contestants on their appearance.
Gretchen Carlson, a former Miss America who is head of the organization’s board of trustees, made the announcement Tuesday on Good Morning America.
She says that the group will make changes to the evening wear portion of the competition, adding it will not judge women on their chosen attire.
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Miss America 2018 Cara Mund added on Twitter, “We’re changing out of our swimsuits and into a whole new era #byebyebikini #missamerica2019”
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Carlson says that the women will no longer be judged on their appearance and instead it’s what comes out of their mouths that counts.
“Who doesn’t want to be empowered, learn leadership skills and pay for college and be able to show the world who you are as a person from the inside of your soul?” Carlson told ABC. “That’s what we’re judging them on now.”
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The organization says the contestants will highlight their achievements and goals in life and how they’ll use their talents, passion and ambition to perform the job of Miss America.
Carlson says that the pageant wants to be “open, transparent and inclusive to women who may not have felt comfortable participating in our program before.”
The rise of the #MeToo movement is powering the changes, Carlson said.
“We’re experiencing a cultural revolution in our country with women finding the courage to stand up and have their voices heard on many issues,” she said in the statement. “Miss America is proud to evolve as an organization and join this empowerment movement.”
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Contestants will do a live interactive session with the judges, according to ABC News.
The changes will take effect with this year’s broadcast on Sept. 9 from Atlantic City, N.J.
The changes follow an email scandal in December, in which former leaders denigrated the intelligence and personal lives of former Miss Americas.
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That led to a shakeup at the top, and the group’s top three leadership posts are now held by women.
The Miss America pageant is run by a non-profit organization in New Jersey. It differs from Miss USA, a competing pageant once owned by Donald Trump. He sold the pageant to WME/IMG.
—With files from the Associated Press
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