Under Construction, alyson brinkley

UNDER environments. In this sense, sex reassignment surgeries take a toll on the body physically and emotionally. However, the fight for tranquility in identity is worthwhile. If our body is our home, no one else has a say in what makes us feel most comfortable when we are alone. With that said, the other end of the spectrum includes these reconstructions we fall victim to. Like the interior design of a home, we feel obligated to reconstruct our bodies to feel an internal gratification from “fitting in.” Trends have their upsides: they can make us feel part of a group and overall included in our generational movements or statements. However, certain trends we blindly follow leave us empty and apart of superficial groups and identities that make us feel alienated and not at home, as our bodies are supposed to be. Nowadays, ads seem to be shoving tools to reconstruct Renovating Our Bodies to ourselves down our throats. Log on to any social media platform, and not only will you fall down a rabbit hole of Instagram models and dieting TikToks, but you will also probably Fit Societal Constructs see ads perfectly tailored to your insecurities. Logging onto Facebook or Instagram, I am often floored at the number of ads tailored to physical appearances I had mentioned through Gender, femininity, masculinity, and overall identity is a text or over the phone. Ads for CVS Beauty, Biore blackhead personal and simultaneously fluid choice. Yet, why is it constrips, and Billie razors litter my feed. These often serve as sistently challenged by the little containers we are put in by a constant reminder of the little ways in which we dedicate others? As we fight to destigmatize fluidity and overall secutime to renovate our appearances every day. The pressure for rity of identity, we sometimes find ourselves being the ones perfect skin, hair, nails, and bodies seems to follow us. As if holding the lids over these containers. these thoughts don’t often weigh heavily on our minds, they Our bodies are constantly under construction. Whether this even follow us into the free time we spend on the apps on our is more surface level in changing our overall style or changphones. ing due to deeper-rooted insecurities, renovations aren’t al Not only do we have a say in reconstructing our physiways a bad thing. Plastic surgery can completely change the cal appearances, but we can also find ourselves consumed in way people carry themselves and function on a day to day constructing a perfect digital aesthetic. Just as physical rebasis. It is important to accept our bodies and natural flaws; constructions should not always be looked down upon, buildhowever, improvements are not always negative or coming ing our digital personas should be viewed in the same light. from a place of self-hatred. The changes we undergo fall on These days, our online presence can be responsible for our a spectrum of ones we choose and ones we have no control livelihood. Countless Instagram personalities make money over. This considers a new stretch mark on your left thigh, off of sponsorships and ads. Additionally, as we saw with the your middle school puberty phase, or a nose job you saved renowned Brittany Tomlison, aka “Kombucha Girl” in 2019, up for. We must accept and become content with the idea that even being candid and allowing our quirks and personalities ours and others’ bodies change; whether we choose for them to rule our online presence can open doors for our careers. to or not. Overall, putting ourselves under construction can be used One thing that has been an uphill battle is the fight towards to our advantage in finding and seeking comfort in our own destigmatizing sex reassignment operations and the overall identities. Our bodies are our homes, and feeling uncomfortcampaign for “Trans Rights are Human Rights.” As more stoable in them will spread like a virus to every aspect of our ries of gender identity and the hardships of these sex reassignlives. Feeling the discrepancy between what we are and want ment surgeries are shared on more accessible platforms, the to be can be suffocating, and making these changes to feel awareness and education of these identities increase. The fact more one with ourselves will ultimately make or break us. It of the matter is, this is a strong community going through inis important not to change our unique compositions. Authenternal and external conflicts when making the personal deciticity and listening to how we feel about ourselves is key to sion to put their bodies under construction. After the physical feeling the most optimal comfort in your own home. CONSTRUCTION: trauma they go for to fight to feel comfortable in their skin, they then often have to face these even more emotionally taxing externalities. Some of these include adequate healthcare, familial acceptance, and inclusion in educational and work by alyson brinkley 27