Trending 6th June 2018 by Helen O'Neill

The Miss America Pageant Is Getting Rid Of The Outdated ‘Swimsuit Round’

This is a huge step in the pageant world.

Seems a bit archaic to judge women on their bodies in a pageant, right? Well, it seems like Miss America is finally catching up to that.

The pageant is getting rid of their swimsuit and evening gown sections as they will no longer be judging the contestants on their physical appearance, organisers said.

Chairwoman of Miss America’s board of trustees, Gretchen Carlson, outlined the changes to next year’s contest on American TV this morning.

“We will no longer judge our candidates on their outward physical appearance,” she said. “That’s huge.”

It’s going to be what comes out of their mouth that we’re interested in, when they talk about their social impact initiatives. I’ve talked to tons of young people who’ve said to me, ‘I’d love to be a part of that program, but I don’t want to parade around in a swimsuit.’

Carlson has been a champion of the #MeToo movement combating sexual abuse and harassment by powerful men in business, entertainment and media. The nine members of the board of directors, seven of which are women, unanimously approved the change in March before it was announced yesterday.

Carlson won the 1989 Miss America contest and went on to become an anchor at Fox News.

She sued the former chief executive at the network for sexual harassment two years ago, and is the first former Miss America to chair the board of the organisation.

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