EBB
House of Dolls
Life in plastic is fantastic. The first legal sex-doll brothel opened in B.C. last December. Is this the future of the world’s oldest profession? by Alejandra Rivera
K
risten Dickson always wanted to own a brothel. “To be the one that is in control of something so controversial is amazing to me,” she says. “I love the idea of being untouchable.” Her dream was not an easy one to accomplish at first, especially due to the legalities of owning a brothel, but this didn’t stop her. She contacted a lawyer and began to set the foundations for what would later become the first business of its kind to be made legal
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in Canada. In December of 2018, Dickson officially opened House of Dolls, a fully licensed sex-doll rental service. The selling of sex is no modern phenomenon; in fact it’s often referred to as “the world’s oldest profession.” The job has changed considerably, however, with laws and regulations making prostitution one of the most difficult and dangerous occupations. Despite this, those involved in sex work have found new ways of making the law work for them, and
Dickson is certainly one of the industry’s pioneers. House of Dolls operates out of Kamloops, B.C., as a home-based rental business for adult novelty toys. Because the city isn’t concerned with what people do with the items in their own homes, Dickson was able to work with the law rather than against it. The brothel business model, according to the City of Kamloops, would be classified as a body-rub parlour and is illegal. As a delivery service, however, House of Dolls is well
within its legal rights to operate as a legitimate business. “It’s like an escort agency,” she explained, “but without prostitution and human beings involved.” Her clientele ranges from people in their 30s to senior citizens. Some are couples, some are individuals with social anxieties. “Just a large variety,” she explains. As is the case with most sex work, client anonymity is a high priority. Dickson’s business was created with this in mind and allows its clients to express themselves sexually PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
