GiA

Netherlands

They/Them

2023 Cohort

GiA is a queer sex worker, sex educator, pleasure activist, SRHR Advocate, writer, and all-round creative collaborator living in Amsterdam. They have an educational lineage that, together with lived experiences, non-university-dictated books, and meetings with interesting souls and projects, has made them move through the multiple, diverse and endless field of pleasure.

Pleasure Nights and documentary on sex workers as sex educators

SEE THE PROJECT

GiA G is a queer sex worker, bodyworker, and performer currently based in Amsterdam. With a background in art, sociology, gender, and sexuality studies, their work bridges academic inquiry with embodied, lived experience. GiA is committed to integrating theory and practice across their diverse practices, grounded in the belief that deep learning often emerges through direct engagement and action. Through their project Pleasure Nights, they curate spaces that merge research and play, fostering non-hierarchical approaches to intimacy, pleasure, and social transformation. Their work is rooted in creating change from the inside out—centering personal, collective, and systemic shifts through embodied exploration and radical care.

GiA and the Pleasure Fellowship

GiA reimagined Pleasure Nights, taking a step back to evaluate both its current form and its future potential. Through a series of insightful opportunities—including mentorship, peer feedback, and hands-on facilitation—she was able to further develop the project while also deepening her understanding of its scope and impact. This reflective process allowed her to clarify her intentions, refine the structure, and align the project more intentionally with her values of embodiment, inclusivity, and transformative pleasure.

What they’re up to now

Currently, Pleasure Nights remains a growing and ever-evolving initiative. With each new series, it is shaped by fresh experiences—through the people GiA meets, the participants she engages with, the books she reads, and the workshops she attends. Each of these elements adds depth and nuance to the work. GiA’s intention is to continue developing Pleasure Nights, ultimately bringing it to different cities as a traveling offering. In addition, she plans to introduce one-on-one Pleasure Sessions, providing personalized support for individuals seeking a deeper re-connection with their bodies and intimacy.

Pleasure Nights and documentary on sex workers as sex educators

GiA plans to create more series of their Pleasure Nights sessions and a documentary on sex workers as sex educators.

Pleasure Nights is a project by GiA G that was further developed during their Fellowship, designed as a series of four intimate gatherings in which approximately ten participants come together to explore and practice qleasure—a term coined by GiA to describe queer pleasure. Rooted in values of inclusivity and radical self-expression, qleasure challenges normative hierarchies, rejects shame, and embraces all forms of diversity. There is no "right" or "wrong" way—only your way. Each session combines embodied exercises, guided conversations, and Pleasure Practices, inviting participants to reconnect with their bodies, desires, boundaries, and their full-bodied “hell yes.” The structure encourages a re-membering of self through collective and personal exploration. Since its inception, Pleasure Nights has expanded beyond the Fellowship and been hosted in several forms, including themed gatherings—such as sex worker–only nights. GiA is now working toward creating a BIPOC-only version of the program and is currently seeking a facilitator to train. Future plans also include specialized editions, such as men-only spaces and sessions tailored for activists, continuing to deepen the project's reach and impact.

The Fellowship provided a valuable opportunity to pause, reflect, and critically engage with the work I had developed through Pleasure Nights. Through insightful conversations and guided sessions, I was able to re-evaluate the project and guide it into what I now consider its “adolescent” phase—more defined, yet still evolving. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to connect with practitioners and thinkers from around the world who are using pleasure as a transformative tool for personal and collective change.

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