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Emile Ratelband, a 69-year-old dutch man, says he has a younger age on paper.
Roland Heitink / AFP / Getty Images
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Roland Heitink / AFP / Getty Images
Emile Ratelband, a 69-year-old dutch man, says he has a younger age on paper.
Roland Heitink / AFP / Getty Images
Emile Ratelband, a 69-year-old motivational speaker from the Netherlands, has made a name for himself in his life.
Ratelband argues that he feels he is a young man, he says. While in most cases that compliment is rhetorical, Ratelband is taking a more literal approach. He also says having a younger age on the paper, he gives a boost in life and on dating apps.
He presented his argument before a judge on Monday.
According to the Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad, gold AD, Ratelband told the court he would be happy to delay his pension benefits for 20 years, as a logical extension of his age change.
The judge expressed some skepticism, but also noted that it has changed the way people live.
Transgender people around the world have a long history of fighting for their identity. Where that is permitted, the legal requirements vary; In the Netherlands, transgender people assert that they have a "permanent belief" that their gender does not match what is their birth certificate, and that they understand the implications of their decision.
Ratelband gave an interview to AD explaining his logic for changing his age.
"When I'm 69, I am limited, If I'm 49, then I can buy a new house," he said, according to a translation by The Guardian. When I'm 49, I do not get an answer When I'm 49, with the face I have, I will be in a luxurious position. "
Ratelband's website says he has seven children and "a steady relationship with the woman of his dreams." However, he told media outlets that he is dating and is looking for more children with surrogate mothers.
Ratelband's website also says his "age focus is to turn at least 94 years old and to then leave this world healthy and get a better place for everyone." He does not consider that "age focus" refers to his physical age or his age.
The 69-year-old also spoke to The Washington Post and said he is not concerned that his comparison of an age change can be offensive to transgender people. He called it a question of free will.
"Because nowadays, in Europe and in the United States, we are free people," he told the Post. "We can make our own decisions if we want to change our age, or if we want to change our gender. . "
He wants to know potential dating partners and customers that he is as young as he feels, not as old as he is.
"But I do not want to lie," Ratelband told the Post.
