At Menopunkapalooza, a music festival and resource fair held at McMenamins Crystal Ballroom in Portland, Oregon, in June 2026, gen X punk legends performed and rallied around a topic still taboo today: women's health during menopause and perimenopause. The festival began with the ceremonial application of an estrogen patch to the backside of drummer Teresa Esguerra and ended with riot grrrl pioneers Calamity Jane performing for the first time in 35 years.
Festival Highlights and Performances
The event featured 750 festivalgoers, a dozen pillars of the Pacific north-west's punk rock scene, and a team of medical professionals. A three-woman band, Ménage àh Twats, dressed in glittery vagina costumes, sang a parody to the tune of Lorde's Royals: 'Night sweats, hot flash, never getting good sleep / Dry puss, moustache, feeling like a crazy / We don't care …' Gabalanch's Sara Lund and Rachel Blumberg played a chill drum-and-gong set, while Berzerk's Joanne Belesiotis performed in deer antlers. Teenagers and octogenarians cheered, 'Hormones are healthcare!' A 10-point hormonal justice Bill of Rights was read aloud.
Founder's Vision and Documentary
Alicia J Rose, 56, founder of Menopunkapalooza, said the festival was the start of a revolution led by riot grrrl-era musicians and gen X doctors to address failures of the government and medical establishment regarding menopause treatment. Rose hosts a podcast called Menopunks and directs an upcoming documentary of the same name featuring Pat Benatar, Neko Case, Alice Bag, and Peaches. In a trailer, Bratmobile's Allison Wolfe says, 'I didn't know anything about menopause,' while Peaches confesses, 'It affected my confidence in my pussy.' The weekend events were designed to raise funding and footage for the documentary.
Riot Grrrl Roots and Activism
In the 1990s, the riot grrrl feminist movement empowered young women to talk about sexism and abuse. L7 created Rock for Choice, Sleater-Kinney sang out against war, and Bikini Kill started 'girls to the front.' Many of these bands still perform, joined by younger artists like Lambrini Girls and the Linda Lindas. Calamity Jane's Gilly Ann Hanner said, 'We were all around in riot grrrl and got to experience that wave of activism. That primed us for this. Now we're all in menopause and we're like, “What the F? This sucks.” But we're also like, “Well, no one's going to do it for us. We got to fight.”'
Personal Stories and HRT Advocacy
Rose began dealing with crippling fatigue and hot flashes three years ago. 'It went from decently shitty to holy-fucking-hell-my-life-is-over kind of shitty,' she told the audience. Hanner, 59, said after a bout with Covid in 2021, she experienced 'a cascade, a waterfall' of symptoms including joint pain, digestive issues, and weakness. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is considered the most effective treatment for alleviating symptoms associated with declining hormones. Research has shown HRT may reduce the risk of heart disease, dementia, and osteoporosis. However, lingering misinformation from a 2002 Women's Health Initiative report linked HRT to increased cancer and cardiovascular risks, causing use to plummet from nearly 30% in 2002 to less than 5% by 2020, according to a 2024 study in Jama Health Forum.
Medical Education Gaps and Progress
Dr Sara Kennedy, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette, said she spent only one hour learning about perimenopause and menopause care in medical school. 'One hour for a time of life that half the world will experience,' she said. Planned Parenthood clinics she runs have expanded training in menopause care. In November, the FDA rescinded its 2003 guidance on HRT and removed black-box warnings. Legislation has been introduced in multiple states and Congress to expand insurance coverage and medical education for menopause. Pop culture has also tackled the topic in shows like BBC's Riot Women and the essay collection The Big M.
Impact and Future
The festival's contagious enthusiasm marked a big moment for middle-aged women's health. The crowd, largely women 'of a certain age,' flashed the 'sign of the horns' to ward off bad luck. Sleater-Kinney's Corin Tucker cheered from the crowd. Bassist Mandy Morgan had an enormous smile during sets with Berzerk and Calamity Jane. Rose, Hanner, and the Menopunks hope women in other cities host similar events. 'I think musicians see other people performing [again] and go, “OK, I'm not too old,”' said Hanner. 'I mean, maybe I am, but who cares? I'm just going to play anyway.'
