Houston City Council votes to ban sex robot brothel

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - Houston City Council amended an ordinance which would allow a business to sell sex robots, but under the amendment, customers would not be allowed to have sex with the dolls at the business. Houston City Council voted on Wednesday morning to pass the amendment which effectively bans a sex robot brothel in Houston. 

All eyes are on Houston City Council as community members wait to see if a robot sex brothel will open here in the city.

"I’m really concerned about this, Mayor,” says City Councilman Dwight Boykins.  There seems to be a lot of concerns about a company opening on Richmond Avenue where people would pay to have sex with robots that look like women.

“It’s my prerogative to think it’s weird.  It’s my prerogative to think it’s a little gross.  It’s my prerogative to have these feelings and I think it’s shared by most people in the City of Houston,” adds Councilman Greg Travis.

The company KinkysDolls is already open in Canada and plans to put the first robot sex brothel in the U.S. right here in Houston. 

"They’re coming to our city because they think they can do this to our city and let’s be clear about this we are not legislating morality here,” Travis explains.

“What happens in your bedroom between consenting adults that is up to them but what happens in the public in a business is our business,” says Council Member Brenda Stardig. 

"I’m trying to figure out how we can stop this completely,” adds Boykins. 

After lots of conversing about it Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner asked,  "Any other discussion?  In favor?  Oppose?  Granted.” Just like that, Houston City Council passed amending a 1999 ordinance that makes it illegal to have sex with a mechanical object in a Houston business.

"Essentially saying you can sell but you can not use.  You can not engage in sexual activity with any inanimate object at the business,” Mayor Turner explains. 

“It would eliminate the try it before you buy it option,” says Councilman Mike Laster, whose district the brothel would have been in.        

So it isn’t a complete victory for the people who don’t want the robot sex shop here but now that customers can't rent and use the robots on the premises will that deter the company from opening in Houston?  We reached out to the business, but they haven’t yet responded.  However, the Houston Public Works Department stopped the construction that started in the building on Richmond Avenue because the company was doing work without securing the proper permits, and according to Public Works, no one from the company has attempted to apply for permits to continue the work.

On Tuesday, community members lined up at City Council to speak out against the robot brothel that could be coming to Houston.

The company planning to put up a robot sex shop in Houston hit a temporary road block last week with a permitting issue in the building there on Richmond Avenue where the company says they will soon open. After listening in at City Council, it’s clear a number of people don’t want that to happen.

“Because it’s perverse, crooked, evil and sleezy,” says Houston resident Tex Christopher.

One after another, people lined up to sound off.  David Gamboa from the non-profit Elijah Rising told council members, “Sex bot brothels will ultimately harm men by dehumanizing sex and women.”

Houstonians are speaking their minds to Houston City Council members, telling them why the Canadian company called KinkysDolls shouldn’t be allowed to open a shop here in Houston where people would go and pay to have sex with real life looking robots.

“These business are created to degrade me as a woman,” says Virginia Mireles.

“A business like this would tear families a part.  Destroy finances,” says a man who introduced himself as Pastor Vega.

“The Bible says a man will leave his father and mother and become one with his wife.  It doesn’t say anything about a man becoming one with a robot.  These are sad, sad times,” adds Christopher and City Council members seemed to overwhelmingly agree.

“I will not be in support of this ever,” Councilman Dwight Boykins responded.

"This stunned everybody.  Took us all by surprise.  It’s gross.  I have cameras ready.  If ever this occurs I will film everyone who goes in and post it on social media to show everyone what kind of person goes in a place like this because I don’t see any good in it,” says Councilman Greg Travis.

“The last thing we need in the city of Houston is a robot brothel.  Thank you mayor for getting on top of this and we’ll vote on this tomorrow.  I can see where we will be able to limit or completely stop this,” says Councilman Michael Kubosh.

The Houston non-profit Elijah rising has collected 13,000 signatures on a petition to keep the company from coming here.

Houston City Council voted Wednesday morning to amend an ordinance in an effort to put a stop to this robot sex shop coming to the city.