69-Year-Old Dutch Man Attempts To Legally Lower His Age To 49

A 69-year-old man in the Netherlands wants to prove it’s legally possible to be as old as you feel.

Emile Ratelband has filed a lawsuit against the Dutch government requesting that his date of birth be switched from March 11, 1949, to March 11, 1969.

Ratelband, a media personality and motivational guru specializing in self-awareness, compares his attempt to turn back the clock to identifying as transgender.

“We live in a time when you can change your name and change your gender. Why can’t I decide my own age?” he asked, according to the BBC.

Ratelband told a court in Arnhem that having an official age that did not reflect his emotional state was a challenge for his career and love life, according to The Guardian.

“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 told AFP that telling his real biological age to a prospective date was cramping his style.

“I feel much younger than my age, I am a young god, I can have all the girls I want but not after I tell them that I am 69,” Ratelband told the news agency. “I feel young, I am in great shape and I want this to be legally recognized because I feel abused, aggrieved and discriminated against because of my age.”

Ratelband said that in exchange for being legally younger, he would agree to renounce his pension.

The judge acknowledged Ratelband’s argument, noting that the law does allow people to change their gender. However, he also noted that allowing people to change their birth date would mean legally deleting part of their lives, according to the Telegraph.

A written ruling is expected within four weeks.