Leite frequented the intellectual bohemian circles of São Paulo, before leaving that life and becoming a prostitute, which she has said was in search of her "personal revolution".

[2] Leite worked as a prostitute in Boca do Lixo in São Paulo, in the bohemian zone of Belo Horizonte, and in the brothel area of Vila Mimosa in Rio de Janeiro.

After moving to Rio de Janeiro, she attended a meeting, organized by the politician Benedita da Silva for women from the favelas, where she made her first public speech.

[6] In 2009, she published a book entitled Filha, mãe, avó e puta (Daughter, Mother, Grandmother and Whore), in which she told her life story.

[1] She refused to be called an "ex-prostitute" when appearing in public, justifying this by the fact that she was still very active in the movement to defend the rights of prostitutes, through Davida and other organizations.

In 2012, federal deputy and gay-rights activist Jean Wyllys first presented the Gabriela Leite Bill to the National Congress, aiming to regulate the profession of prostitution and guarantee the labour rights of sex workers.