A 69 year-old Dutch man has gone to court to legally cut 20 years off his age on grounds of being discriminated against on a dating app.
The man, Emile Ratelband, has compared his “predicament” to that of a transgender and said he no longer felt comfortable with his date of birth.
He also told the court the age did not reflect his emotional state and that he was struggling to find both work and love because of his age.
He is asking the court to change his date of birth from 11 March 1949 to 11 March 1969.
He said:
“When I’m 69, I am limited. If I’m 49, then I can buy a new house, drive a different car,” he said. “I can take up more work. When I’m on Tinder and it says I’m 69, I don’t get an answer. When I’m 49, with the face I have, I will be in a luxurious position.”
Ratelband, who described himself as a “young god” also said that doctors had told him that his body was that of a 45 year-old.
When the Judge asked him how his parents felt about him, trying to chalk off 20 years of his life, Ratelband said his parents were dead.
The Judge said such matters, like a change of sex is still in a developmental state, but Ratelband insisted “It is really a question of free will.”