HOT FLASH

🔥 A Genderqueer Menopause Cabaret & Play Party

Saturday, March 21st, 2026

8pm - 2am

Oakland, CA (address released to ticket holders)

GET YOUR TICKETS HERE*

HOT FLASH is a celebratory, erotic, and intentional gathering centering trans, gender-nonconforming, genderfluid, and queer-bodied experiences of menopause and perimenopause. Created in collaboration by Gender Blender, Beyond the Rainbow Events and Lasara Firefox Allen, author of Genderqueer Menopause: Navigating Menopause for Trans, Gender-Nonconforming, Genderfluid, and Other Queer-Bodied Folx

Together, we create space to honor bodies in transition — bodies that are often erased, medicalized, or shamed and to reclaim menopause as something that can be wise, erotic, playful, political, and alive.

This evening blends story, performance, ritual, pleasure, and play, honoring bodies in transition and the wisdom that comes with change.

🌈 Who This Is For

While HOT FLASH centers trans, gender-nonconforming, genderfluid, and queer-bodied experiences of menopause, this event is not only for people who have gone through, are going through or will go through menopause. People of all genders are welcome and encouraged to attend. Menopause affects partners, lovers, friends, caregivers, and communities and understanding this transformative time helps reduce stigma, misinformation, and isolation. This night is an invitation to learn, witness, celebrate, and show up with care for the people in your life and community who are navigating this transition.

All gender identities, sexual orientations, relationship styles, races, ethnicities, body shapes, roles, ages (21+), and experience levels are welcomed and celebrated. We're committed to fostering a diverse and respectful environment. Any conduct or language contradicting this ethos will not be accepted at our events.

GET YOUR TICKETS HERE*

Doors Open: 8pm

Join us in a fun icebreaker game and the chance to win a prize!

Opening Circle: 9:00pm

Book Excerpt Reading: 9:30pm

Cabaret: 10pm

Doors Close at: 11pm

You must arrive before then!

Party Ends at: 2am

EVENT FEATURES:

📝 Genderqueer Menopause Bingo

This playful icebreaker invites participants to mingle, connect, and learn from one another through shared experiences of menopause, body changes, and support. Come curious, move at your own pace, and discover just how many stories live in the room. As you mingle, find someone who matches a square and have them sign it. Get a bingo and drop your name in the prize box for a chance to win a gift bag. One of the prizes is a signed book of Genderqueer Menopause along with some other goodies!

🤝 Opening Circle

The night opens with a grounding opening circle to set container, intention, and shared values. This is a space to arrive in your body, connect with community, and step into the experience with care and consent. We strongly encourage everyone to arrive in time to participate, as it helps create the shared foundation for the evening.

📖 Book Excerpt Reading

Following the opening circle, Lasara Firefox Allen will offer a reading from Genderqueer Menopause: Navigating Menopause for Trans, Gender-Nonconforming, Genderfluid, and Other Queer-Bodied Folx

This reading centers lived experience and language that reframes menopause beyond cisnormative, binary, and shame-based narratives. It offers reflection, validation, and permission, naming menopause as something expansive rather than diminishing, and deeply personal rather than prescriptive.

This portion of the evening is designed to ground us in story and shared understanding before moving into performance and play.

🎭 Cabaret: Heat on Stage

Next, the lights come up for a themed cabaret exploring menopause, transformation, aging, and body positivity through performance.

Trixie (Gender Blender) will emcee and perform, holding the room with flirtation and fire… weaving warmth, wit, camp, and consent into a cabaret that knows exactly how hot it is.

🔥 Hot Flash Confessional

A communal reflection space. This quiet offering creates space for recognition, resonance, and empathy, reminding us we’re not alone in our transitions. Write anonymously on posted notes and post them on a designated wall for others to reflect on.

DRESS CODE:

If it is comfortable for you, we invite you to dress to theme… the color of heat, flushing skin, rising temperature, blood remembered or released, desire, and power. Think shades from soft rose to deep oxblood, or even just a bold red accent that feels right for your body. If blood red doesn’t land well for you (I mean, not all of us love our blood), secondary theme colors are trans flag colors (blue, pink, and white) or genderqueer colors (lavender, white, chartreuse). Our dress code encourages you to showcase your unique style, whether it's playful, sensual, daring, or elegant. We celebrate all body types, genders, and personal expressions, creating a space where you can feel comfortable in your own skin. We will have a coat check, so if you want to change upon arrival, you can.

BAR AND SNACKS:

We do not sell nor serve alcohol. You are welcome to BYOB. Please drop off your bottles at the bar where a designated person will label and bottle-sit your bottles. When you want a drink, head back to your stored bottle, you must pour your own drinks (as per regulations), and return the bottle. Ice and a few mixers will be available, feel free to bring more. Kindly consume alcohol in a responsible manner and remember to bring your beverages with you when departing for the evening. In general we want to make sure that everyone is present and able to give consent - please stay in your body and be able to function at all times. We will supply a few snack and highly encourage you to bring a snack to add to the snack table. After so much play we will want some snacks!

🎟️ TICKET INFO 🎟️ *

This is a 21+ event and you will be carded upon entry.

🎟️ Secure Your Spot! Ensure your place in this one-of-a-kind experience.

GET YOUR TICKETS HERE*

Early Bird Ticket: $35

Ticket cost: $45

Last Minute Ticket: $55

Financial Access Ticket - We want this party to be accessible and we prioritize resilient identities under our NOTAFLOF initiative. Kindly reach out to us at beyondtherainbowevents@gmail.com to request a low-income or free ticket if needed.

VOLUNTEERING:

Volunteering is a great way to meet people, and feel involved in the community, plus you get in for free!

VENUE:

Please Support Mission Control with an annual membership! Alliance members get into Hot Flash for a discount and many other Mission Control events for free!

We regret to inform you that this venue space is not fully wheelchair-friendly. While the first floor is accessible, there are stairs leading to other areas of the venue, which may pose a challenge for individuals with mobility impairments. Additionally, please be aware that the bathrooms are not equipped with wheelchair-accessible facilities. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and are committed to making accommodations wherever possible. If you have specific accessibility needs or require further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us in advance, and we will do our utmost to assist you.

CONNECT:

Plura Event: https://plra.io/m/hot-flash-032126

Facebook Event (private): coming soon

Mission Control Event: https://events.missioncontrolsf.org/events/87283

Fetlife Event: coming soon

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Gender Blender is a community dedicated to centering trans, enby, genderqueer, gender nonconforming, and gender fluid people. We strive to center those who are often on the margins. We uplift people of resilient identities and welcome all races, genders, abilities, and backgrounds. We create brave spaces for folks to be their full selves with a focus on consent, body positivity, and collective liberation. Birthed in 2008 and fully launched in 2009, we have been creating awesome events ever since, including safer-sex consent based play parties, workshops, potlucks, performances, and an awesome camp at Burning Man. For more information go to: www.genderillumination.com

Trixie Lamonte

Trixie Lamonte (Ariel) is a professional workshop facilitator, sex-relationship-confidence coach, writer, performer, and ritualist. Ariel is the co-founder of Gender Blender and Queerdome. Ariel is well known for hosting safer sex consent based play parties, MCing, gogo dancing, performing genderqueer art, and coaching people in poly, self-love, and quality communication. For more information or to hire Ariel go to www.polyexcellent.com

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Beyond the Rainbow Events is a welcoming and enjoyable environment to socialize, play, connect, and explore. Our events are sex-positive and kink focused. All gender identities, sexual orientations, relationship styles, races, ethnicities, body shapes, roles, and experience levels are welcomed and celebrated in these spaces.

We have themed immersive events, highlighting workshops, new presenters, performers and feature skill-shares by members of our community. We recognize that initiating conversations, especially in environments exploring intimacy and kink, can be both exhilarating and challenging. That's why we will incorporate a selection of curated interactive icebreakers that seamlessly blend friendly connections with a touch of sensuality or kink. Whether you're a seasoned participant or new to our community, our events offer structured opportunities to engage with others, creating a space where everyone can feel welcomed and at ease. For more about Beyond the Rainbow events go here: https://linktr.ee/beyondtherainbowevents

JessJess So nice you say it twice!

JessJess (she/her) one of your hosts and has been organizing and hosting a variety of events in the Bay Area for close to a decade. She has a strong belief in the power of connection, she thrives on fostering engagement, encouraging dialogue, and creating a welcoming inclusive atmosphere that brings people together. She runs Beyond the Rainbow Events! Beyond that role she is Bonobo Network’s Community Manager, one of the largest sex + communities rooted in real-world and virtual events where people learn together – and from one another. You can also find her as a regular host, house manager and board member at Mission Control hosting events such as Peek, Threshold and Pink. These are just some of the communities JessJess works with, she is committed to creating spaces where everyone can feel valued, respected, and appreciated.

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Lasara Firefox Allen

Lasara Firefox Allen, MSW is a genderqueer author, witch, and instigator working at the lush, unruly intersection of queer embodiment, feminist spirituality, sex, and power. They are the author of Genderqueer Menopause, a groundbreaking guide for trans, nonbinary, and other queer-bodied folks navigating the menopause transition and queer aging. Lasara is widely known for pioneering gender-affirming menopause care, especially for trans and nonbinary individuals.

Lasara is the Founder and CEO of Genderqueer Futures, dedicated to creating ongoing health, education, and advocacy solutions for gender-expansive folx, and the Center Executive Officer of a mid-sized, legacy LGBTQIA+ mental health organization. Their work blends ritual, pleasure, and trauma-informed practice, inviting us to meet aging, desire, and transformation with less shame and more heat.

​​Find out more at: https://linktr.ee/lasarafirefoxallen

SAFETY:

PAL System: To help keep Hot Flash safe and consensual, Mission Control’s PAL System is used. To attend, you MUST arrive & leave with a responsible partner, your “PAL” for the night. There's no need to be a couple, but you are both responsible for each other during the party. Read more about PAL system here: https://events.missioncontrolsf.org/home/custom?page=PAL

COVID: This event encourages vaccination and boosters. Each attendee must show at the door a negative result from a same-day rapid test For at-home tests, please name and date the test result card, and take a photo of the card to present at time of entry.

Please do not attend with any indication of having a fever, sore throat, or flu-like symptoms. A limited number of Covid Rapid tests will be available at the door for $15.

INCIDENT REPORTING: We seek to create a space that is very safe and welcoming. Please reach out to a host ASAP if there are any consent violations, or anyone makes you feel uncomfortable. You can also fill out the incident report form: https://forms.gle/HrMHNehuwhQ86rLr9

* By purchasing or obtaining a ticket, you are agreeing to Beyond the Rainbow Events Consent & Code of Conduct Guidelines and the venue’s guidelines. You are also agreeing to Beyond the Rainbow Release of Liability, Expressed Assumption of Risk, Hold Harmless, Indemnification, and Medical Consent Waiver.

Beyond the Rainbow Events Consent & Code of Conduct Guidelines: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qahR4K1mLSHWtpnsOsma7GnI9SGck-864VmkraK3TP8/edit?usp=sharing

Mission Control Agreements: https://events.missioncontrolsf.org/home/custom?page=Agreements

Beyond the Rainbow Release of Liability, Expressed Assumption of Risk, Hold Harmless, Indemnification, and Medical Consent Waiver: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Dw1iCu8_TSNa7LJLtqK14s2cRrXetKCt/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=111890050380964700401&rtpof=true&sd=true