Menopause was kept quiet for decades. Alicia J. Rose is done whispering.
In this fierce, funny and deeply cathartic conversation, Lisa sits down with the award-winning filmmaker, photographer and musician behind MENOPUNKS—a documentary, podcast and growing movement using punk-rock rebellion to challenge menopause misinformation and demand hormonal justice.
Alicia shares her own path from medical dismissal to becoming “hormonally radicalized,” why music remains one of Gen X’s most powerful languages, and what happens when midlife rage is channeled into creativity, community and action. Lisa and Alicia also unpack the cultural fallout from decades of fear surrounding hormone therapy, the stories Alicia is hearing from iconic musicians, and the electric energy of Menopunkapalooza.
This episode is for anyone who has wondered whether the problem was their body—or a system that never gave them the information, care and choices they deserved.
Content note: This conversation contains strong language and discussion of medical dismissal, cancer, dementia, reproductive rights and political systems. It shares lived experience and advocacy perspectives and is not personal medical advice. Speak with a qualified healthcare professional about your individual circumstances.
What we talk about:
Alicia’s symptoms became impossible to dismiss in her early 50s, but getting informed, appropriate care was anything but straightforward.
MENOPUNKS grew from a personal health reckoning into a documentary, podcast and movement focused on misinformation, access and hormonal justice.
Gen X’s relationship with music matters: for the last analog generation, art did not just entertain us—it helped us define ourselves.
Alicia is gathering menopause stories from musicians and artists, revealing common experiences of dismissal, confusion and feeling as though something was seriously wrong.
Lisa and Alicia explore the lasting cultural fear created by the early reporting on the Women’s Health Initiative and why informed, individualized care matters.
Menopunkapalooza put menopause advocacy onstage with music, comedy, clinicians, politicians, resources and joy.
Rage can consume us, but it can also carry information. When combined with creativity and community, it can become fuel for change.
Listeners can support MENOPUNKS by following and sharing the project, listening to the podcast, buying merch or donating toward documentary post-production.
Chapters:
00:01 — Meet Alicia J. Rose and the MENOPUNKS movement
00:57 — When menopause became bigger than Alicia’s own body
03:45 — The echo chamber of hormone fear and misinformation
08:22 — Why Gen X may be uniquely equipped to change the story
10:47 — Music, identity and the last analog generation
17:18 — What musicians are revealing about menopause
20:21 — Feminism, cultural backlash and the future women expected
23:30 — The Women’s Health Initiative and the consequences of its reporting
30:43 — Menopunkapalooza: reclamation, healing and euphoria
37:12 — Why resistance also needs joy
38:46 — How Gen X wants to age differently
40:38 — Storytelling as an uncensored source of power
41:55 — How to support the MENOPUNKS film, podcast and movement
44:07 — Alanis Morissette, consider this your invitation
45:10 — Uncaging rage and turning it into action
MENOPUNKS website: https://www.menopunks.com/
About Alicia and the MENOPUNKS team: https://www.menopunks.com/about-1
Alicia J. Rose: https://www.aliciajrose.com/bio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/menopunks/
Email: menopunks@gmail.com
Podcast, merch, documentary updates and donations are available through the MENOPUNKS website.
The Estrogen Dilemma - Historical Article
Connect with Lisa:
Lisa Boate | Menopause Consultant, Coach and host of Transforming 45
Website: https://liberatedmenopause.ca/
Email: lisa@liberatedmenopause.ca
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lboate/
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