Country's First 'Robot Brothel' Hit By New Houston Regulations On Sex Doll Retailers

Houston officials have put up a roadblock intended to further hinder construction of the United States' first "robot brothel."

City council passed a law that prohibits sexual contact with anthropomorphic devices within business premises, Houston Public Media reports. The new law is a revision of a 1999 ordinance that regulates strip clubs and other sex-related businesses. Anthropomorphism is defined as the attribution of human traits, emotions or intentions to non-human entities.

“I know there are some people that will sit there and say, ‘What does the city of Houston have to do … with any of this?’” District G Councilman Greg Travis said at the city council meeting Wednesday. “And the answer is, we’re not getting into your bedroom, but don’t bring it into our district. Don’t bring it into our city. This is not a good business for our city. We are not Sin City.”

Sex doll retailers will be allowed to sell their products in Houston — customers just won't be able to use them on-site. If a business refuses to comply with the regulations and allows sexual contact within the store, the city can levy fines and shut down the business if it commits more than four violations in a year.

The controversy was initially stirred when KinkySDollS, which allows patrons to rent or buy human-like sex dolls, announced plans to expand into the Houston market on its Facebook page.

Some Houstonians, including Mayor Sylvester Turner, were against it. The Canada-based company was forced to halt construction of its 2,500 SF location near the Galleria area after failing to secure the required permits for demolition and construction.

Continue reading this story with a free account

Log in or register
Sign up for more articles like this
Subscribe to Bisnow's Houston Newsletters
Related Stories

Cross Ocean Partners, Fuller Realty Acquire 829K SF Houston Office Campus

Trammell Crow Starts Phase Of 2M SF Industrial Park: The Houston Deal Sheet

Oncology Company Expands Footprint At Hines' Life Sciences Campus

Nike Closes 15 Stores Amid Tumultuous Year

The Fast-Food Exec Taking Her Real Estate Talents To The Looksmaxxing Era

TJ Maxx Parent Plans To Accelerate Store Openings In 2027

Ashley's Frasers Sets £20B Real Estate Acquisition Target

Astrodome Conservancy Solicits Redevelopment Ideas

Food And Beverage Increasingly Becoming Anchor In Mixed-Use Projects

Sugar Land Town Square Secures Fortune 500 Lease: The Houston Deal Sheet

Ken Griffin Strikes $86M Palm Beach Real Estate Deal With Blackstone

Houston CRE Firms Turn To Contractors As They Look To Scale