Miss America Eliminates Swimsuit Competition: 'We Are No Longer A Pageant'

The Miss America competition is doing a serious overhaul in its rules this year, Deadlinereports.

"We are no longer a pageant," said Gretchen Carlson, chair of the board of trustees of the organization, this morning on Good Morning America, continuing to say the contestants "will no longer be judged on outward physical appearance."

These statements were part of Carlson outlining some huge changes in the way the competition is conducted: first, there is no swimsuit section anymore, and the evening gown section has been altered.

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Instead of marching around in bikinis, the women will now interact with the judges, to explain why their talents and ambitions make them qualified to be Miss America. The talent portion of the show will remain intact.

Carlson, a former Miss America herself who recently sued Roger Ailes for sexual harassment, said:

"We want to be open, transparent, inclusive to women who may not have felt comfortable participating in our program before. But look, we have always had talent and scholarship and we need to message that particular of the program better as well."

She added: "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. Miss America is proud to evolve as an organization and join this empowerment movement."