The Miss America pageant may not have a swimsuit portion anymore, but that’s not the case with Miss Staten Island.
Women competing in the 53rd annual show this year were allowed to don their best beachwear as they battled it out Sunday for the crown.
Ashley Davis — the eventual winner — didn’t mind wearing some flashy pink duds as she strutted across the stage for the judges.
“Personally, I don’t think walking in a swimsuit hurts a woman or makes them degraded in any way,” said the 22-year-old. “But again I think they want to focus on scholarship and education and that is very important.”
Samantha Rosenberg, who was crowned Miss Richmond County 2019, didn’t feel the same way.
“I think it should go,” she said. “I felt it would be more inclusive to other women because I have a lot of friends and people that were close to me that didn’t want to compete because of the swimsuit. They didn’t feel confident enough in their bodies. So I felt getting rid of the swimsuit and adding something else is possibly a step in the right direction to get people more involved. And to say, ‘It’s okay. It’s not about how you look, it’s just about the person you are inside.'”
The Miss America pageant scrapped its swimsuit portion earlier this year in the wake of the #MeToo movement. It had suffered from its own string of abuse and harassment allegations, including claims from former winners of sexism and belittlement.
Local and state level competitions were expected to follow suit, but many — like Staten island — are still waiting on the official go-ahead.
“I personally love the swimsuit portion,” said Stephanie Accardo, pageant executive director and former Miss Richmond County 2012 and 2014.
“I think it says a lot that a woman can get on stage and feel powerful in a swimsuit and heels and be able to command a board room,” she added, noting how she “never felt more confident than when competing.”
“I wasn’t prepping for swim suit — I was prepping for life.”
But outgoing Miss Richmond County, Madison L’ Insalata, disagrees.
“I think it’s a bit antiquated,” she said. “I think being in a bikini — especially a bikini with heels — isn’t necessary…I think they could find a way to incorporate some sort of health and fitness where you don’t have to be in a bikini.”
While L’Insalata sees how some people could find it “empowering” to be on stage and use their bodies to say “I’m healthy and strong,” she doesn’t believe it should be a deciding factor.
“It was fun when I did it and I worked out before,” she admitted. “But it’s not fair to the big group of people who feel they don’t have a place in the organization simply because of the bathing suits. It’s not about that. It’s about intelligence.”
Sunday’s winners will now move on to compete in the Miss New York pageant next summer. The winner of that will then battle for Miss America.