In the latest effort to signal as much virtue as possible, the Miss America beauty contest is scrapping its swimsuit and evening-gown section and will no longer be judged on physical appearance. Contestants will instead be asked to demonstrate their "passion, intelligence and overall understanding of the job of Miss America."

"We are no longer a pageant," Gretchen Carlson, the first former Miss America to be named chair of the Board of Trustees of the Miss America Organization, said on "GMA." "We are a competition."

"I could have never expected what would happen when I sued my former employer at Fox News for sexual harassment 22 months ago, but look what has happened," she said. "Thousands of women have been inspired to know that they can stand up and speak up and their voices will be heard." Carlson added, "If I’ve been a beacon of hope to any woman in that process, it has been worth it."

As GMA reports, The Miss America organization courted controversy earlier this year when internal emails were released from the group's former CEO Sam Haskell. In the leaked emails, Haskell, who later resigned, and others were insulting the appearance, intellect and personal lives of former pageant winners, including Carlson.

Carlson went to add that :

"We’ve heard from a lot of young women who say, ‘We’d love to be a part of your program but we don’t want to be out there in high heels and a swimsuit,’ so guess what, you don’t have to do that anymore,"

We wonder how long it will before the contestants will be wearing a full burka to avoid any potential judgment.

"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 - who was crowned Miss America in 1989 and has more recently been an outspoken advocate for victims of sexual harassment and a champion of the #MeToo movement - went on:

“It’s going to be what comes out of [the candidates’] mouths that we’re interested in, when they talk about their social-impact initiatives.”

How long before high-school football are decide not by the score but by the color of the uniforms and average GPA?

Why not avoid crowning a winner in 'Miss America' altogether and gives everyone a trophy - surely that would be the most 'equal' opportunity way to run the so-called beauty contest?

Is Miss America about to morph into a spelling bee?

How long before Miss America invites men to participate?

Does this mean that beauty-judgment-free "Miss America" will compete against the rest-of-the-world in the Miss Universe beauty pageant? (And how long before Trump's former Miss Universe pageant is 'boycotted-threat'-ed into following America's lead?