Disney will let its workers sport tattoos and gender-neutral hairstyles

Cast members at Disney's theme parks can now show up to work with visible tattoos in whatever gender costume they wish thanks to a major shift in the company's dress code. 

"We want our guests to see their own backgrounds and traditions reflected in the stories, experiences and products they encounter in their interactions with Disney," Josh D'Amaro, chairman of Disney parks, experiences and products, wrote on a company blog post announcing the new policy on Tuesday. "And we want our cast members — and future cast members — to feel a sense of belonging at work."

Effective immediately, the new rules will apply when Disneyland and Disney California Adventure reopen on April 30 after being shut down for a year by the coronavirus pandemic. Disneyland Resort last month said it was recalling thousands of furloughed workers.

References to gender have been removed from Disney's employee dress guidelines, which no longer specifies the length of men's hair and drops a prior ban on men wearing nail polish. Still, hair color must appear natural, with pink, green and blue tresses still not allowed.

Visible tattoos are now allowed on Disney workers as long as they are not on the face, head or neck and no larger than a hand. They also can't contain offensive language, symbols or nudity. 

"Our new approach provides greater flexibility with respect to forms of personal expression surrounding gender-inclusive hairstyles, jewelry, nail styles, and costume choices; and allowing appropriate visible tattoos," D'Amaro wrote. "We're updating them to not only remain relevant in today's workplace, but also enable our Cast Members to better express their cultures and individuality at work."

Part of an effort to embrace diversity in its workforce and culture, Disney has taken its Jungle Cruise out of operation as the boat ride is updated to get rid of negative stereotypes of native people. The company has also revamped Splash Mountain to remove racist themes stemming from the 1946 Disney film "Song of the South" and introduce its first Black princess.