I translated into English, Rokudenashiko san’s “I Stand Against the Ban Child Sex Dolls Petition”! ろくでなし子さんの『署名「Ban Child Sex Dolls」に反対します』を英語に翻訳してみた！

Original text (Japanese): https://6d745.com/2020/05/28/署名「ban-child-sex-dolls」に反対します/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

I have not received permission from Rokudenashiko san to translate this text so this is merely a translation based on my interpretation of her blog post, but seeing as this discourse surround child sex dolls is also conducted in the English speaking feminist sphere, I decided to translate this for that audience. If anybody feels that I am misrepresenting her with my translation, please let me know in the comments and I will do my best to fix it.

I too believe that restricting child sex dolls for those who are trying to express their sexual desire towards children in a way that harms nobody, is unfeminist and anti-diversity and very much against one’s personal freedom to love and be attracted to whoever and whatever I want. And as an avid queer BDSM-er, being restricted of one’s freedom to express one’s sexual desires in a non-harmful way hits close to home, and I too feel the need to voice against such discrimination even if its target is currently only towards those who use love dolls for sexual gratification.

Rokudenashiko san has expressed such feelings of worry, and opposition very eloquently in her blog post.

So here’s the translation of Rokudenashiko san’s protest:

“I Stand Against the “Ban Child Sex Dolls” Petition” 

by Rokudenashiko, translated by MayNyanNyan

There seems to be another unsettling free expression restriction movement. This time they are trying to ban love dolls (primarily ones which look human in order to simulate sex).
After some research, I found out that this petition was created by American activists a couple of years ago, but recently I came across this on Twitter. Seeing many people agreeing with the petition, I became very concerned and scared of the fact that already, there are over 170,000 names on the petition.
I read the English introduction to this petition, and found out that this activist describes those who use love dolls as “[t]hese child sex dolls can normalize a pedophile’s behaviors, emboldening them to harm children, as is often the case with those who view child pornography.” Love doll users are described as if they are criminals to be.
Is this not an extreme bias and discrimination against love doll users?
Of course, sexual abuse towards real life children should never be condoned, and those who assault children should be punished heavily. Furthermore, the goal of the petition, which is to end sexual assault crimes, is not wrong.
However, those who use the dolls for self-pleasure is merely using a doll, and is not hurting anybody.
In this world, there are people with sexual preferences that I cannot understand or empathize with.
There are people sexually attracted to and aroused by the presence of someone of a different sex or gender, and those who are exclusively attracted to the same sex or gender. There are also people who are sexually attracted to people of all genders, to dolls, to little girls or boys, to shoes, to buildings, and to inanimate objects that look nothing like humans. There are people who wish to hurt or eat others for sexual gratification, as well as people who do not feel sexual desires all together.
However disgusting that desire (or the nonexistence of it) is, and even if nobody can understand it, nobody has the right to invade other people’s freedom to feel how they feel. As long as that person does not harm real life beings, and merely become sexually aroused within their fantasies, that is not a crime.
It is regrettable and quite unsettling that even such simple principle cannot be understood by those whose emotions of disgust, fear, and unforgiving anger become their primary motivation behind actions and words.
I am not sexually or romantically attracted to other women. However, perhaps for some gays or lesbians, being able to love a person of different sex or gender seem disgusting. We happen to live in a world where heterosexuals are the overwhelming numerical majority, but it is up to individuals to decide what they like or do not like. Negating another person’s sexual preference or attraction because you cannot understand it, is I believe, an outright discrimination.
It was not so long ago that people attracted to the same sex or gender were harshly discriminated as a “sick and disgusting existence” in society. Today, as has the term LGBT come into common language, such sexuality is much more accepted. A society that supports diversity trying to restrict love doll users is quite clearly against the principle of accepting and celebrating diversity. As a feminist, I strongly oppose this petition.
Recently, there has been a series of similarly unsettling cases against free expression and the freedom to feel a certain way, such as the protest against the Uzaki chan blood donation poster, LoveLive’s Mikan poster, as well as demanding for Takashi Okamura to be fired from his NHK show, and this petition against love dolls. Quite frankly, I am becoming tired of expressing my opposition to every single case.
It is much more fun studying about 3dCG or thinking about plarail (plastic train models) I play with my son. Those activities make me forget about time, and make me feel extremely fulfilled, so to be honest, I do not want to talk about these issues.
However, I am blocked by Japanese feminist academics on Twitter, and if I remain silent, my protest would be treated as if it did not exist. Even if it is a tiring and cumbersome work, I must continue to express my opposition.
And I want to say to those who began this petition or have agreed to it:
Why are you criticizing people or things that you dislike and will never have to interact with? I find it far more enjoyable to pass time doing something I love.